Homecoming
by Shadowblayze
Summary: -AU- FAMILY Kakashi/Naruto- After a two and a half year mission, Kakashi returns on October 10th only to find that his charge had not been taken care of as instructed. What will Kakashi do?
1. Homecoming

_The autumn sunset sprawled lazily across the horizon as the trees slowly danced in the cooling October breeze. The bustle of the streets for the rapidly approaching festival did nothing to comfort the frightened and confused little boy who viewed it all through tear-stained lashes._

_Blue eyes looked out on the horizon from atop the head of the Yondaime, unfocused. The chubby baby face was framed by bright yellow hair that stood up of its own accord. Trying to make himself as small as possible, the little boy drew his knees up to his chest and tried to block out the world by hanging his head low and squeezing his little hands fiercely around his upper calves. _

_The wounds from the recent beating were already healing, but the tears still dripped down his angelic face. The only indication that the sunshine-haired child was not an angel of sorts were the three whisker-like markings on either cheek._

_"Why? What did I do to deserve this? Did I do something bad?" the child thought brokenly._

_It had always been like this._

They would always find him, no matter where he was or how well he hid. Instead of ignoring him like every other day, this day they would always find him. Tormenting him with verbal lashings until his tattered orange jumpsuit was strewn with tears and bullying him roughly causing his body to form angry bruises.

October 10th.

"What did I do_?" _he choked out as fresh tears dripped down, "why will none of the adults let the other kids play with me? Why am I so different! Did I do something bad? Did I...did I..kill?...someone?"

He could hear the cruel and unforgiving voices in his head. The voices weren't as bad as the looks, though. But still, he thought as his tears fell faster and he squeezed his hands tighter,

"Why?"

* * *

**Flashback:**

"**Cursed brat!"**

"**Why won't you die!"**

"**You deserve to suffer, monster!"**

"**Just go away, freak!"**

**End Flashback**

* * *

Drawing his knees to his chest he rocked himself back and forth wishing he knew why they all hated him. The only one who seems to care is the Hokage. However, the most important man in the whole village had duties and today was a busy day for him. The celebration of the Yondaime's defeat of the Kyuubi no Yoko by sacrificing himself to seal the beast away ensuring the preservation of Konoha from utter destruction. The little boy sniffled and rubbed his eyes pitifully.

"There you are!" said a voice behind him, and instinctively the child curled into a ball and waited for the pain.

* * *

On the outside the man seemed calm. Slightly slouched and moving at a leisurely pace, he seemed to have all the time in the world. Nodding politely at the people who acknowledged him and gracefully stepping around getting involved in further niceties, he seemed to be acting normal to everyone who knew of him.

On the inside though, hiding his rising panic and mounting irritation was becoming difficult. Just as he was about to break into a sprint, he head the conversation he'd been looking for. Stepping into the dark alleyway just behind the group, he listened.

"And then," said the jovial Chunin, identified by his vest, "we ambushed the demon kid. Tsuki punched him hard in the side of the head. Man, it was had to hurt too! He didn't hold back at all. Then we all surrounded him and I kicked him in the gut, thought the brat was going to pass out right there!"

The Chunin, Kaiten, stopped to catch his breath from laughing. "Then, Sak takes out a kunai and slashes the monster's arms until I was sure he was going to pass out from blood loss, but what really got me was when Tsuki grabbed his arms and rubbed some sort of chemical on them to make the cuts burn like hell. After that we got carried away and slammed him against the wall too hard, no fun torturing a monster who can't feel anything, so we left him there in a puddle of his own blood."

The entire time the Chunin had been speaking, Kakashi had been fighting to keep from killing the kid. His patience paid off with the next line out of the idiot's mouth, though.

"He probably went up to Hokage Mountain, it's where he usually goes after a beating. If you ask me…"

Kakashi never heard the rest of the sentence, he had already "poofed" away. Going as fast as his legs could carry him, he raced to the place the idiots had mentioned, swearing that he would make their life hell later. "_Tsuki, Kaiten, Sak- gotta remember those names for later." _he tucked the information away for safekeeping.

* * *

When he arrived at Hokage Mountain, he nearly cried in relief when he saw the orange blob atop the head of the Yondaime. Scaling the wall in record time the young man walked up to the boy quietly.

When he was right behind the kid said, "There you are!" Kakashi's heart lurched when he saw the child in front of him instantly curl up into a fetal position, as if expecting the jonin to hurt him.

"Naruto…Naruto, don't you remember me?" Kakashi asked, rooted to his spot for fear of scaring the boy and abject horror that the child seemed to not remember him at all.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the orange ball uncurled and sat looking at Kakashi with wide cerulean eyes.

"You're…you're not going to hurt me?" he asked hesitantly, hopefully.

Kakashi suppressed the urge to throttle 90 percent- no, make that 95 percent- of his home village. He drew a deep, cleansing breath, "No, Naruto, I'm not going to hurt you. Do you not remember me? It's me, Kashi."

"Kashi." the boy said slowly as if hearing the name for the first time. Looking at the silver haired man in front of him, Naruto cutely tilted his head to the side and thought hard, realizing that his voice sounded familiar. "Your voice," he said slowly, "your voice…I think I've heard it before."

Kakashi chuckled in relief, "I'd hope so. I used to take care of you." something unknown flashed though the Copy Nin's eye, but was gone before Naruto could recognize it. "I was sent on a mission when you were two and a half, it has taken me this long to complete it. But I'm back now. Oh, and happy 5th birthday, Naruto."

Naruto looked at the man in utter surprise, no one ever said happy birthday to him. The "Old Man" would celebrate a week after his actual birth date, but never on his birthday. "Oh,….um…thanks?"

Slowly the silver-haired man approached him, but somehow Naruto couldn't move. When Kakashi got to Naruto, he knelt and wrapped the boy in a fierce hug. Kakashi almost broke down when he felt the boy's body tense so badly that Kakashi was sure it would break from strain. Stamping down his guilt and loathing, Kakashi tried to comfort the little boy who looked so much like his sensei.

"Shhh, Naruto, I won't hurt you. I won't. It's me." Kakashi spoke quietly, at a loss to make his young charge remember him. Then Kakashi remembered the song he used to sing to Naruto before he left for his mission, quietly he sang:

"_Golden slumber kiss your eyes,  
Smiles await you when you rise.  
Sleep,  
pretty baby,  
Do not cry,  
And I'll sing you a lullaby. _

_Care you know not,  
Therefore sleep,  
While I o'er you watch do keep.  
Sleep,  
pretty darling,  
Do not cry,  
And I will sing a lullaby."_

Slowly Naruto allowed himself to relax as he heard the oddly familiar song. Just before he drifted off to sleep, a flash of recognition went through his mind, and for the first time in a long time, he genuinely smiled.

"Goodnight, 'Kashi" he mumbled as he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

Behind his mask, Hatake Kakashi smiled in relief and endearment. As he made his way to his apartment with his precious cargo, he mulled over what he had heard and seen.

Too long had he been gone from his precious charge- the boy he promised Minato-sensei and Kushina-sensei he would protect with his life. Never again would the council tear them apart.

Even if he had to leave the Village Hidden in the Leaves to keep the boy safe.

"Those who betray their missions are trash. But those who betray their friends are worse than trash." he mumbled to himself as he opened the door to his humble apartment.


	2. New Beginings

Naruto woke up the next morning in a clean bed with a shuriken comforter. Groggily, he wondered how he got home. Then reality caught up with him.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed.

At that precise moment Kakashi's head shot up from his sleeping position on the floor beside the bed looking for the attacker.

At seeing Kakashi's mop of silver hair, Naruto had one reaction.

"HEEEELLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPP!" he wailed, curling up in the sheets, terrified.

"Naruto! Naruto! It's me, Kashi. Remember? I found you yesterday and brought you here!" Kakashi spoke as calmly as he could while trying to stop the screaming, ranting child in his bed.

Slowly, Naruto stopped screaming and began to remember the day before. He remembered the beating, meeting Kakashi on Hokage Mountain, and falling asleep to the oddly familiar lullaby.

He blinked as he processed the information, then he began to relax as he studied Kakashi's face. Naruto felt like he knew the masked ninja, but couldn't place him exactly.

Kakashi, for his part, was ecstatic when Naruto stopped looking as if there was a raging mob of villagers outside the window. Sitting up, Kakashi took in the boy's appearance. The wounds had healed, but the kid needed new clothes and a decent bath. At the boy's curious expression, Kakashi smiled beneath his mask. "Naruto how would you like to go shopping after breakfast?"

At the word "shopping" Naruto's face fell all the way to the floor and a look of horror crossed his face as his eyes filled with paniced tears.

Attempting to stem the impending freak-out Kakashi held up his hands in a placating gesture and said, "Hey, hey…we don't have to go anywhere if you don't want to! I just thought we'd get you some new clothes and supplies for the apartment, since I've been gone so long."

Naruto, seeing as Kakashi wasn't trying to hurt him, calmed down. He was still a little wary of the jonin, but he was quickly warming up to him. With a downcast expression he spoke slowly, "I want to go shopping…but,….but, the shopkeepers don't want the "cursed child" in their stores. I don't even what they're talking about."

Hearing the brokenness in that simple statement, Kakashi's rage level reached the heavens. "_This is how he's been treated! Not even allowed to go into stores! How did he survive! I swear these fools…."_ Kakashi was brought out of his internal tirade of pain and vengeance by a knock on his door. Sighing, he pulled himself off the floor and answered his door.

"Hello?" said a groggy, pissed off Copy Nin. He was consequently bombarded with:

"Kakashi! My eternal rival! Your youthfulness has returned to us!" came the booming- and over enthusiastic voice- of his friend/rival Gai.

"Kakashi, so you made it back, eh? Guess I lost that bet." said a senbon-sucking Genma.

"Yo." was Asuma's greeting.

"Cyclops! How are ya? Thought you found a pretty girl and wasn't comin' back!" Anko jibed.

Internally groaning, Kakashi took all the pleasantries with a smile that seemed genuine, mentally debating whether he should just slam his door and be done with it. After the people at his door _finally shut up _he spoke, "Well, guys nice seeing you, but I have stuff to do and I need sleep so….."

"We know." Genma said suddenly, "We know _he's_ here."

"And _who _are you talking about, exactly Genma." Kakashi growled, trying to keep his tone indifferent.

"The demon ki-"

"HIS NAME IS NARUTO!" Kakashi exploded suddenly, "AND HE'S NOT THE DEMON THAT IS SEALED INSIDE HIM YOU BUNCH OF-"

"Whoa! Kakashi!" said a suddenly talkative Asuma, "Genma didn't mean it like that!"

"Then WHAT exactly DID he mean?" screamed a highly irate Copy Nin.

"Genma only meant that we know you have him, since we can sense his chakra." Anko said seriously. "We searched for him all night, after kicking some asses, of course. We were afraid…afraid.." uncharacteristically Anko's voice choked up, but everyone pretended not to notice.

"We knew yesterday was the….festival, my youthful rival," Gai said in a (gasp!) normal tone, "We have tried to keep an eye on him since you have been gone, but we too, have been sent on quite a few un-youthful missions lately, making it challenging to keep up with him."

"Gai-san? Is that you?" said a small voice from behind Kakashi. Naruto poked his blonde head from behind the Copy Ninja's leg and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Indeed! My youthful boy, and…" Gai started rambling about how youthfully happy he was to have found Naruto in such a "springtime of youth" condition.

"Do you listen to this a lot?" Kakashi asked Naruto, kneeling down to be closer to the chibi, with a hint of amusement creeping into his voice as Gai's tirade wore on.

"I usually tune him out after the second time he says "youthful"" Naruto whispered conspiratorially to the taller man as Kakashi choked back a laugh.

Gai's tirade was cut off by a smack to the head by Anko. "Why, Anko-chan.."

"Say my name and youthful in the same sentence and you'll be snake food, Green Beast." Anko said sweetly, twirling a kunai menacingly. Gai gulped nervously.

"Ah..hahahaha. Sure thing, Anko-chan." If I do such a thing I will walk up the stairs of the Hokage mountain using only one leg!" Gai broke out his "good guy" pose.

"Whatever." the snake mistress muttered.

"Ahem." Asuma cleared his throat to gain the attention of Kakashi, who was smirking at his rival's unfortunate predicament. "Well, since the little brat is alright, we'll be going Kakashi. Welcome back, by the way."

As the group turned away, headed to Hokage tower to pick up their missions no doubt, Asuma turned his head to the side and called, "Oh and Kakashi, the Hokage wanted to see you and Naruto this afternoon." After Kakashi nodded in acknowledgement, the group vanished into the early morning.

After walking back into the kitchen area with Naruto in tow, Kakashi started rummaging through his cupboards for something edible to feed himself and the boy. After a few minutes he sighed, "Sorry, kiddo, but it looks like breakfast is ram-" He cut himself off as Naruto began babbling about ramen, and all it's goodness, and how the "Old Man" would take him to the ramen stand once a week.

"Wait, I thought you said the shopkeepers wouldn't let you in?" Kakashi said and then kicked himself waiting for the inevitable reaction.

"Ichiraku, the owner Teuchi and his daughter, Ayame, they always let me in! And they don't overcharge me or give me the old stuff or anything!" declared the fairly bouncing Naruto without missing a beat.

Kakashi winced slightly at the last part, "_And they don't over charge me or give me old stuff or anything!"_ He vowed silently to make sure the kindly ramen stand owner was compensated for being fair to his young charge.

After eating a "delicious" breakfast, as according to Naruto. Kakashi decided that the boy needed a bath. "Alright Naruto," Kakashi drawled, "time for a shower."

At Naruto's questioning look, Kakashi sighed. "You know how to shower by yourself, right?" Slowly Naruto nodded and Kakashi exhaled the breath he'd been holding. "Okay then, I'll help you set the temperature and then you'll go first, ok?" Naruto nodded.

After setting the temperature, and leaving Naruto with the required utensils to clean himself with, Kakashi settled back and thought about the last 12 hours. "_I can't believe they treated him so horribly! It was bad when I was here, but…. I guess I shouldn't have expected it to get better while I was gone should I? I mean, the Council said I was "going soft" and that's why they sent me on that dammed mission. I'm glad that Gai, Asuma, Genma, and Anko were looking for him, though. It means not everyone in this village has gone stupid….." _Kakashi was cut off from his internal monologue by soft whimpers coming from the bathroom. Confused, he stood up and rapped on the door.

"Naruto… Naruto are you alright?" asked a slightly concerned Kakashi. "Naruto?" he called again. No answer. "Naruto, I'm coming in."

Upon entering his bathroom, Kakashi stifled the urge to laugh. There was Naruto with soap bubbles everywhere, still as dirty as when he climbed in, trying to get Kakashi's automatic soap dispenser to turn off. Kakashi walked over and flipped the lever to stop the soap, at the same time Naruto looked up at him with tears in his eyes. "

"I'm…..I'm sorry, Kakashi!. Please I didn't…" Naruto stammered in panic, hoping the masked man wouldn't be angry.

Kakashi felt his lessened anger return full force. "_What did they do to him?" _

"Naruto…Naruto!" finally getting to boy's attention, "it's alright. It's just soap, I have plenty. We'll get some kid's soap later when we go shopping." Noting Naruto's stricken expression he quickly added, "And the shopkeepers will be nothing but nice, alright? You're with me again, I'll protect you with my life." Noting that the bright light was beginning to return to Naruto's eyes, Kakashi smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. "Now, hurry it up before you use all the hot water!" he teased, leaving Naruto to finish his shower.

* * *

Later that morning saw a cleaned up, dressed duo leaving Kakashi's humble apartment. Walking down the street Kakashi held Naruto's hand as he glared at the villagers who looked ready to taunt the boy. Naruto for his part was babbling on about everything under the sun. "And the sky is so blue today, Kakashi-san! Look at those birds! I wish I could fly! I'd fly all over and protect everyone in the village."

At this statement, Kakashi's curiosity was ignited. "_He doesn't hate them, eh?"_

"So, Naruto, who do you want to protect everyone?" Kakashi inquired nonchalantly. He didn't expect the answer he got.

In a quiet, serious tone Naruto replied, "Because it's my dream. I want to be Hokage someday and have everyone acknowledge me as a strong ninja! But, Jiji says that you can only be _really really _strong if you have someone to protect, so I figure if I wanna protect the whole village, that'll make me _super_ strong!" Pleased with his logic, Naruto looked up at Kakashi questionly when the teenager stopped suddenly.

Naruto shifted nervously as Kakashi stood there for a moment. Beginning to get worried, Naruto was surprised when Kakashi suddenly bent down and hugged him tightly.

"You'll be really strong, Naruto. I just know it!" Kakashi whispered protectively. "**He** trusted you after all." Naruto was too shocked by the display of public affection to ask who "he" was, and simply hugged the Copy Ninja back.

* * *

After several flares of killing intent, using his speed to knock out salesgirls, and blatant threats, Naruto had a whole new outfit- which looked like his old one, and they had supplies that had been put away neatly in the apartment before going to report in to the Hokage.

"Ah, Naruto, Kakashi, you're here." said the Hokage as he looked up from his small mountain of paperwork. "How are things going?"

Immediately Naruto started babbling about ramen, clothes, ninja weapons, and his new soap that came in an _orange_ bottle while Sarutobi and Kakashi looked at each other in wonderment at how a boy who had been through so much could be so carefree. After he finished- or finally ran out of breath- Sarutobi asked Asuma (who had just "poofed" in") to take Naruto outside the room for a bit.

After Asuma had led the sunshine-haired boy out of the room, Sandaime activate the silencing seals- to keep unwanted ears from eavesdropping.

Then Kakashi asked the thing Sarutobi dreaded, but expected. "Hokage-sama, I request permission to take Naruto out of the village to train. It has become clear to me that even with your orders and my comrades efforts the citizens proceed in gross ignorance. I believe it would be best for Naruto and Konoha to get the boy away from the blatant hatred for a while. Also, I believe that the Council would continue to try to separate Naruto if we stay here and I, and I…I promised, sir."

Sarutobi closed his eyes for a moment, then spoke. "I know Kakashi, I promised _him_ too," he sighed, the years falling over his face, "and you're right, Naruto would stand a better chance if you took him out of the village to train. I do have a stipulation, however." The Hokage opened his eyes and looked steadily at the Copy Nin, "You must take Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sauske with you."

"Sir, the Uchiha's oppose Naruto the most! And Obito…" Kakashi said, shocked.

"I know you still blame yourself for Obito's death, Kakashi, but Itachi does not and Sauske is too young. I fear that the expectations of the Uchiha clan weigh too heavily upon the shoulders of Itachi, and I fear the use of his younger brother against him. Already at the age of 10, they have began to fear their rising star." Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed, settling back in his char tiredly. He would never understand why some clans wanted their children to grow up so fast. He himself had trained his children, but allowed them their innocence until a decent age.

"The Uchiha Clan isn't just going to let their two heirs walk away without a fight, though. Not with all the unrest already brewing between them and the village." Kakashi said quietly.

"You would think. But it seems that since Sasuke has yet to manifest signs of the sharingan,

and Itachi is loyal to the village first, they would jump at the opportunity to remove them for a short time.." Sarutobi sighed again. Why is that all he had done for the last five years?

"As you wish, Hokage-sama." Kakashi bowed and began to leave when Sarutobi stopped him.

"Meet me at the main gate tomorrow morning at ten-which I presume means that you will be there at noon, correct?- and you will receive the other members of your team Kakashi." As the silver-haired nin began to walk away again, Sarutobi called after him, "Kakashi, thank you."

Without turning around, Kakashi responded, "I will do anything to protect the family I have left, Hokage-sama. Minato-sensei and Kushina-sensei trusted me to take care of Naruto, and if that means taking care of the two Uchiha's as well, so be it." With that said, Kakashi opened the door and left the Hokage's office.

"I hope you can help them, Kakashi. If not you, then who?" sighed the Sandaime as he eyed the paperwork on his desk. "Wasn't this pile smaller a few minutes ago?" he whined.

* * *

After picking up Naruto from Asuma's care, they headed back to the apartment at a leisurely pace. It was then Naruto asked Kakashi a question that he'd hoped to avoid. "Kakashi-san, why do they call me a demon child? Did I….did I do something bad?"

As Kakashi pondered his response, he made the mistake of looking into bright blue eyes filled with grief, hope, faith, pain, and mostly determination. Pulling Naruto over to a secluded bench, Kakashi took a deep breath. "Naruto, five years ago a nine-tailed fox attacked the village. The fox was huge, and it's tails crushed mountains with a single swing. Many shinobi died trying to defeat the fox, but ultimately the fox was sealed, by the Yondaime, inside a baby whose had recently been born. That baby….was you Naruto."

Kakashi watched as Naruto's expression turned to one of horror and confusion, but before the boy could get too far Kakashi knelt in front of him and grasped his shoulders firmly. "Naruto, listen to me. You. Are. Not. The. Demon. Sealed. Inside. You. End of discussion. You're a hero, Naruto. Without you holding the demon at bay through the seal, the village would have been destroyed. Mi-Yondaime meant for you to be treated as a hero, Naruto. Never look at yourself in disgust or hate because of this. You are Uzumaki Naruto of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, and someday you will be a great shinobi who is important to many people. I'm going to train you myself."

As he made his speech Kakashi gauged Naruto's reaction. He went from being terrified to hurt by the news his idol, the Fourth Hokage, had sealed the beast inside him. When Kakashi said that Yondaime expected the boy to be treated as a hero, Naruto broke out into a million-watt smile. It was then Kakashi knew without a doubt that it would take more than this news to quench the boys fighting spirit.

"The Yondaime trusted you to hold the fox, Naruto." Kakashi told the boy as he pulled him onto his lap and nuzzled his mask-covered chin into the blonde hair. "He knew whoever held the Kyuubi no Yoko would have to be strong and have the guts to never give up or the beast would take over."

Setting Naruto on the bench and kneeling down to look the boy in the eyes, Kakashi continued. "Not only did the Yondaime believe in you, but so do I." Naruto still had a goofy grin on his chibi face,

"The Yondaime trusted me, huh?" the boy said in awe. "Yatta!" he yelled jumping up and down on the bench in joy. "My idol believed in me, Kakashi-san! I'm gonna definitely be the strongest ninja ever! Believe it!"

Amused by the …dance Naruto was performing on the bench, Kakashi let the boy prattle on about how he was going be Hokage and eat lots of ramen and make ramen the official village food. After about ten minutes Kakashi pulled the boy back down to a sitting position.

"Also, Naruto, since we're talking. Tomorrow we will be leaving the village for a while. I have a mission and since I'm so awesome you get to go with me!" Kakashi gave the boy his patented one-eyed smile before continuing, "Going with us will be another boy your age and his brother, who is five years older than you two."

Seeing Naruto's look of fear, Kakashi was quick to reassure, "Naruto, not everyone is stupid with fear. These boys will be like brothers to you, _eventually_. Now, Naruto, calm down. I will be teaching you how to be a ninja as well as completing my mission. Don't you want kids your age to help you learn?" Kakashi gave the boy another smile, ruffled his sunshine hair, and ignored the boy's scared look.

With that behind them, Kakashi hoisted Naruto onto his back, and took the rooftops home, with the boy laughing and screaming with excitement the whole way.

* * *

After a dinner- that included _fruits _**and** _vegetables_ much to Naruto's disdain, Kakashi dressed the boy for bed. As Kakashi prepared to bed down on the floor he heard Naruto call him.

"Kashi?" said a meek voice, so unlike his loud, happy self.

"Yes, Naruto?" Kakashi replied, though his heart leapt at the old nickname.

"Would….would you sing to me again?" Naruto asked quietly.

"Sure," Kakashi replied as he sat on the edge of the bed, prepared to sing the lullaby again.

"Kashi?" Naruto said again, sounding even meeker.

"Yes, Naruto?" Kakashi replied, amused.

"Would…would you sleep up here with me? There's enough room for both of us, I mean." Naruto hurriedly said.

"Are you sure, Naruto? You could have the bed allllll to yourself if you wanted." Kakashi told him gently.

"No…I mean….when you're close to me I feel safer," Naruto looked down embarrassed, "and….and maybe if you sleep up here, my night…my nightmares may not be so bad." he forced out.

Kakashi's stone heart melted into a puddle of affectionate goo, right there. He had faced seductresses, S-ranked criminals, and situations that made lesser men go insane. But this yellow haired, bright-eyed little boy had just won whatever heart Kakashi had left and then some.

"Alright Naruto."

"_Golden slumber kiss your eyes,  
Smiles await you when you rise.  
Sleep,  
pretty baby,  
Do not cry,  
And I'll sing you a lullaby. _

_Care you know not,  
Therefore sleep,  
While I o'er you watch do keep.  
Sleep,  
pretty darling,  
Do not cry,  
And I will sing a lullaby."_


	3. Talks

Early the next morning in the Uchiha district, Uchiha Fugaku was awakened by an ANBU Black Ops messenger. Shortly thereafter said man could be heard grumbling about early mornings and "self-important kages". An hour later however, saw Fugaku standing in front on the Sandaime's desk wearing a mask of utmost respect.

"Ah, Fugaku, how good of you to come on such short notice." the Hokage greeted cheerfully. "I called you down here to tell you that I have decided that Itachi and Sauske will be accompanying Hatake Kakashi and Uzumaki Naru-"

"The demon spawn?" Fugaku spat venomously, " My sons will be nowhere nea-"

"ENOUGH!" Sandaime roared, all the pleasantness from a few moments long gone from his voice. "As Hokage, I can place whomever I choose on whatever team I deem most effective for the good of the village. Itachi is already a fine Leaf shinobi, and Sauske will soon enter the Academy to learn the skills of ninja life, therefore they both fall under my jurisdiction. You will have them packed and ready for an extended mission and at the main gates of the Village by noon today. Understood?" Sarutobi watched the clan leader carefully, gauging his reaction.

Finally Fugaku spoke, "It is true that Itachi is a full shinobi and under the influence of the Hokage. However, since Sauske has not yet graduated from the Academy, he still answers to the village council. I am sure that they would be _disappointed _to hear of your sending an _impressionable_ young child with that piece of-"

The wave of killer intent radiating from the Sandaime forced Fugaku to step back and cover his face in order to breathe. In that moment, Fugaku knew that his "plans" were on hold. There was no room to move within the Sandaime's carefully chosen words. As children of a shinobi clan, they were under the Hokage's influence from the moment they were born. "As you wish, Hokage-sama." Fugaku bowed respectfully, and left quickly after he was dismissed. "_I have to think of something to keep Sauske here!" _the clan leader thought desperately.

* * *

Back in the humble apartment of Hatake Kakashi, a sun-kissed boy slept soundly, snoring slightly. Kakashi looked at the small child curled up next to his chest in pure wonderment. The silver-haired nin had awakened to Naruto's whimpers in the wee morning hours, and had sang the boy his lullaby to soothe the troubled child.

Amazingly, as soon as Kakashi began to sing, Naruto curled up tightly against the jonin and the whimpers ceased immediately. "Kashi," the boy had mumbled in his sleep. Since then Kakashi had lain awake watching the boy sleep, pondering what had happened to his charge while he had been away. "_What did they do to him exactly_?" the Copy Nin wondered for the thousandth time. "_I wonder if Minato-sensei and Kushina-sensei are disappointed in me for leaving Naruto for two years. Even if it was my mission, I should have made it back sooner! True, I thought Sarutobi-sama had a little better control of the situation, yet still…I knew. I knew that he needed me."_

Kakashi was so deep in thought that he didn't realize he had wrapped his arms around Naruto and pulled him closer until blonde hair tickled his nose. Smiling lightly, Kakashi nuzzled the brilliant crown of hair that reminded him so much of Minato-sensei. "I swear Naruto," Kakashi whispered, "I swear I'll protect you. I'll train you, and I'll always be just a call away for whenever you need me." Kakashi closed his eyes and slipped into a few hours of precious sleep. Never noticing the smile on his charge's face.

* * *

As noon greeted the main gates of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Kakashi and Naruto were touching down in front of the Sandaime and a 10-year-old Uchiha Itachi. Though to the average person Sarutobi looked calm and relaxed, Kakashi could tell that the Hokage was troubled.

"Ah, Kakashi, Naruto!" Sarutobi called cheerfully, "How good of you to join us! Kakashi, may I speak with you in private a moment? Boys, introduce yourselves and behave, we'll be right back."

When the Hokage and Kakashi moved to the shade of a building just out of earshot, both boys looked at each other- one in fear, the other in indifference. Finally Itachi shook his head and spoke, "I'm Uchiha Itachi. I'm a genjutsu user and I posses the Sharingan."

Silence.

Then, "Hi! I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I like ramen, the color orange, and someday I'm going to be Hokage! Believe it!"

Stare.

"You're _that_ kid, right?" Itachi asked, noting how Naruto tensed instantly, but shook his head "yes". "I don't know why people are so scared of you, it doesn't seem like you're the type to hurt a butterfly." Itachi stated indifferently.

At the older boy's words, Naruto's head snapped back to look at him in grateful shock. Almost always people looked at what he now knew was sealed inside him, not the boy himself. It was a shock to find someone not much older than him who didn't automatically hate him. Naruto began to relax about being around someone new, and he was beginning to think that this trip wouldn't be as bad as he thought.

Itachi watched the emotions pass over the little boy's eyes and was surprised when the kid gave him a bright smile and started rambling cheerfully once more.

* * *

"The Uchiha council rallied the support of other clans, Sasuke won't be coming." the Hokage spat in one breath.

Kakashi's eye widened, "_The other councils dared oppose the Hokage?" _

_"_Fugaku managed to convince them that traveling with Naruto and you would be detrimental to Sasuke's development. So until he reaches the age of seven it has been agreed that he should stay with his clan." It was easy to tell that Sarutobi was none too pleased with this recent development.

"The fools believe that they can slip by me because I am an old man, but I see the hatred they hold in their eyes and hearts for not only Naruto, but Itachi as well. They hate Naruto out of a foolish, misguided charade of vengeance that has blinded their sense. They have began to hate Itachi because he has become everything that they wanted in a prodigy- yet his loyalty is to his village, not his clan's foolish pride. They purposely never allowed him to be a child, and now they fear him for it!" Sarutobi drew in a deep breath and Kakashi waited patiently for his commander to continue.

"Since Sauske shows the same promise as Itachi, but was allowed to develop socially with his fellow children- making him more likely to be their puppet- the fools plan to simply push Itachi aside and make Sauske the heir. To accomplish this they plan to make the brothers hate each other- _exactly_ what they have planned to make that happen, I fear- and eventually fight to the death. The plan, from what I have gathered, is to have Sauske kill Itachi to gain the most powerful form of the Sharingan- the Mangekyou."

"But…but the Shodai forbid-" Kakashi quietly exclaimed.

"I know!" the Sandaime hissed, looking around nonchalantly, to make sure they had not garnered unwanted attention or ears. Straightening up Sarutobi glanced at the two boys waiting by the gate. "They look so innocent, don't they Kakashi? Hard to believe that one is a jinchuuriki and the other already has six solo S-ranked missions under his Leaf headband."

Noting the look of remorse and pain that crossed the Sandaime's face, Kakashi bowed and began to walk back to his charges, but stopped when Sarutobi spoke in a quiet tone. "And also, Kakashi, I fear that they will send assassins or worse. I know that these boys will help determine the future of not only this village, but others as well. Therefore, I want you to find Tsunade and Jiraiya. Give them this." Sarutobi handed Kakashi a sealed scroll and stepped aside to let the jonin pass by him unhindered.

After reuniting with the boys, Kakashi and Sarutobi shared a look of understanding, and then the trio turned to leave. As they started to disappear from sight, Sarutobi sighed deeply and looked up at the face of the Yondaime, "_I hope this works. I don't know what else to do. What would you have done if you had lived… Minato?"_

* * *

After about two minutes of silence, Naruto grew restless. "So, Itachi-san, you have the..uhh, what was it called again?"

"The sharingan." Itachi replied.

"So, uhhh, what does it _do _exactly?" asked a curious Naruto.

"It…" Itachi began.

"It's complicated, Naruto." Kakashi cut in. "Leave Itachi-kun alone about it for now, remember this will be a long mission, so there's plenty of time for questions."

Itachi said nothing about being interrupted, but was internally perplexed. "_Why would Kakashi-sempai stop Naruto-kun from knowing the truth of the Sharingan?" _he thought. Then it dawned on the young Uchiha, "_Obito. Kakashi-san doesn't want Naruto-kun to ask why he has the Sharingan when he isn't an Uchiha."_

Conversation stilled- for about another two minutes before Naruto began peppering both of the older males about ninja life, ninjutsu, hand signs, chakra control, and everything else that popped into his head. Years of listening to people talking being ignored had put many ideas into the young blondes head. What surprised both of the ninjas was how quickly Naruto seemed to be grasping everything. Startlingly, after a basic explanation and the occasional example, Naruto seemed to grasp the general idea of the technique or action they were discussing.

All day the trio traveled, and slowly the lush, thick forests that surrounded the Village Hidden in the Leaves started to become less dense, giving way to cleared patches of land for villages and mountains. Since they were headed in the direction of the Village Hidden in the Sand this wasn't surprising to the two older males, but to Naruto it was a whole new experience because he had never been this far out of Konoha. It seemed that everywhere he looked there was something new or different.

Hours later, the trio came to a comfy-looking, shaded clearing with soft grass and a nearby stream. Before Kakashi could suggest stopping, Itachi spoke up. "Kakashi-sempai, this seems to be a good place to rest for the night. Permission to stop and make camp, leader?"

Kakashi chuckled internally, "_Wow, this kid takes the title of 'mission' seriously. Reminds me of myself so much it's almost scary." _Outwardly he cleared his throat and nodded in approval. "Alright, guys, we're going to stop here like Itachi-kun suggested. Itachi-kun, I believe this is Naruto-kun's first time camping so you will have to help teach him how to setup a ninja camp. Since we away from the outer defenses of Konoha, I am going to scout for threats." After getting a nod from Itachi and a wide-eyed look from Naruto, Kakashi "poofed."

Itachi turned to find Naruto, with his backpack still on, looking at him like he was about to attack. "Is everything alright, Naruto-kun?" Itachi asked.

"You…you're…you're not going t-to…att…..attack m-me a-are y-you?" Naruto asked in a meek, scared voice.

Itachi cocked his head to the side, perplexed. Had he not traveled with this boy all day long? Did Itachi not answer every question the boy had asked him, and even demonstrated a few chakra control techniques? It was then Itachi noted that it was getting dark, and with Kakashi scouting the area, Naruto had been left alone with a stranger.

Though he did not approve, Itachi knew that some of Naruto's most adamant enemies were from the Uchiha Clan, and being as he was _Uchiha _Itachi, the poor boy probably thought Itachi was about to kill him or worse.

Clearing his throat, Itachi crouched down to be eye-level with Naruto. Looking directly into bright, scared blue eyes Itachi stated clearly, "Naruto-kun, I will not hurt you."

Looking at the crouching boy in front of him, Naruto felt like he could trust him. True, Itachi was an _Uchiha_ and it was that particular clan that seemed to hate him more than most, but it seemed that Itachi was different. Slowly Naruto's frown disappeared into a brilliant smile as he came up with the perfect test. "Okay! But you have to promise _and_ you have to let me call you Itachi-nii-san."

To Naruto's utter surprise Itachi simply nodded before saying, "Hai."

"You…you would really let me call you Itachi-nii-san'?" Naruto asked in a trembling voice.

"Hai. It's what you wanted, right?" Itachi asked, mildly perplexed. Did this kid think he was a liar?

"Well…well, most people would have killed me for asking that. I..I didn't think…" Naruto sputtered.

"Look, _otouto_" Itachi huffed, feeling better by the way Naruto's head snapped up in curiosity at the endearment; yet still feeling unreasonably irritated that this boy categorized _him_ with "most people" "I said I'd let you call me Itachi-nii-san' and that is final. Now are we going to set up camp or not?"

Itachi reflected momentarily that only his brother, Sauske, could evoke this sort of response from him. Maybe there really was something other than the demon sealed inside that made this boy special.

Several mild cataclysmic events later, Itachi had managed to teach Naruto how to set up a proper ninja camp, complete with a small fire and food that was currently cooking over aforementioned fire. Just as the rabbit was beginning to reach that perfectly cooked state, Kakashi "poofed" back into camp. Clearing his throat, he reported that there was no activity in the nearby area and complimented Itachi on the genjutsu that he had set out. That statement launched Naruto into a whole new round of questions that lasted until bedtime.

Late that night, while on watch, Itachi noticed that Naruto was whimpering in his sleep. Itachi moved from his position in a nearby tree and soundlessly landed by Naruto. Lifting his hand up to feel Naruto's forehead, Itachi saw the jonin next to Naruto twitch slightly- so slightly that had Itachi not had his Sharingan active, he probably would have missed the action. Lowering his hand to Naruto's forehead, Itachi was shocked to find that the boy was running a high fever.

"Kakashi-san." Itachi hissed quietly. When he got no response whatsoever, Itachi tried again, "Kakashi-san, I know you're awake. Naruto-kun has a high fever."

That got Kakashi's attention. He had snapped awake when Itachi moved from the tree, but feigned sleep to see what the boy would do. When Itachi told him that Naruto was running a fever, Kakashi felt horrible that he had not noticed before. Crawling out of his sleeping bag, and sitting on the opposite side of Naruto- across from Itachi, Kakashi used a basic medical ninjutsu to see what was wrong. The results of the diagnostic jutsu was shocking.

Naruto's consciousness was inside the seal on his abdomen.

* * *

Naruto's Dreamscape:

_Near the outskirts of Konoha there was a small den that Naruto always used as a safe house when he really didn't want to be found. Naruto found himself running to his place of safety before realizing that no matter how fast he ran or which road he took, he couldn't get out of Konoha. It was then that Naruto also realized he was surrounded by a mob of villagers, but instead of them attacking him, they all ignored him. Everyone. No matter what he did or said, they refused to acknowledge him at all. Naruto felt as if he had been in this place for forever. _

"_What's going on?" Naruto thought in panic._

_Then, before he could react, a sharp stinging sensation passed from his neck throughout his body, in an instant. The next thing Naruto knew, it was utter darkness._

"_**Kid**__." called a voice he'd never heard, he couldn't tell if the owner was male or female. "__**Gaki**__!" called the voice a little louder. "__**BRAT!" **__It came again._

"_Huh, what?" Naruto opened his eyes and was greeted by a…well, startling sight. There he stood before the cage that held the legendary Kyuubi no Kitsune, who had been sealed by the Yondaime. "Nani?" Naruto half-yelled, half-sobbed in terror._

"**Calm down, idiot. I'm not trying to destroy you.**" _growled Kyuubi. "__**You were hurting yourself. I was trying to wake you up."**_

"_What-what d-d-do yo-you m-m-m-ean?" Naruto asked feafully._

"_**You're my container, right?"**__ asked Kyuubi, when Naruto nodded yes the kitsune continued. "__**Your body- because of this cursed seal- is beginning to absorb to my chakra." **_

"_How can I absorb to your chakra if I have never used it?" asked Naruto exclaimed curiously with an underlying hint of panic._

_Kyuubi chuckled viciously, "**Let me finish! Whenever you sustain heavy injuries my chakra reacts and heals you, correct?" **Seeing Naruto about to reply, Kyuubi "shushed" him and continued. "**Because of this it has caused your seal to begin to absorb my chakra earlier than planned**. **It will still take quite a long while for you to get used to the absorption process, but I will try to dull the pain." **_

"_**Kid, the person who sealed me inside you made my existence dependant on your own. So, every time you were injured beyond a simple level, I send my chakra to heal you, and my power heals you at an accelerated rate." **_

"_**However, you should be careful for the next few years, since my un-denatured chakra wreaks havoc on your development. Since you're with the masked one and the quiet kid, you shouldn't have to rely on me too much, but if I have too many more near-death experiences with you in the near future your chakra network will never fully develop. Now go, kit, your companions are beginning to worry about you. Shut up and go now!"**_

_Naruto just shook his head dumbfounded and turned towards to the only door he saw. He wasn't sure what to make of the scary monster inside the cage._

End Dreamscape

* * *

Naruto's eyes snapped open to see a very worried scarecrow and a slightly less-than-indifferent Itachi.

"Naruto-kun, are you alright?" Kakashi asked in a rush putting cool hands on the boy's forehead.

"Kashi? Itachi-nii-san?" Naruto croaked, missing the look of surprise that danced across Kakashi's face at the usage of the suffix for the Uchiha heir.

"His fever is gone Kakashi-sempai." Itachi reported.

"Naruto-kun, what happened?" Kakashi asked. As Naruto relayed what had transpired, Kakashi and Itachi sat there in shock. "Kyuubi…talked to you?" Kakashi said in a shaky voice once Naruto was done. Naruto nodded his head, and Kakashi thought hard_. "Does this mean the seal is weakening?" _he thought worriedly.

"Kakashi-san, I think that the Kyuubi told us this because of the seal." Itachi spoke quietly, much to Kakashi and Naruto's shock.

Seeing Kakashi's look, Itachi continued quickly, "It makes sense. Kyuubi's existence dependant on Naruto-kun's existence, therefore it stands to reason Kyuubi would try to keep Naruto-kun from dangers like sickness- even when said dangers are caused by side-effects of the Kyuubi's own chakra. If Naruto's own chakra network were to never be fully developed, he could never be a ninja. Therefore, he would have an even lower chance of defending himself from a fatal attack, since most of the people opposed to him in Konoha are shinobi."

Naruto just looked at Itachi, admiring the older boy's mind, while Kakashi processed the words of the younger ninja.

"You know, Itachi-kun," Kakashi said finally, "you just might be right. It would make sense that Kyuubi would try to keep Naruto-kun alive and well. I guess the Yondaime's seal has surprises in store for us. We'll have to keep a better eye on you Naruto, so you aren't forced to use too much of Kyuubi's healing abilities."

All three looked at each other awkwardly for a few minutes before Kakashi announced that it was his watch, and for Naruto and Itachi to go back to sleep. After the boys had settled down and dozed off, Kakashi knelt down beside his youngest charge and ran his fingers though soft, sun-kissed hair.

"_What were you thinking when you sealed Kyuubi, Minato-sensei? Did Kushina-sensei tell you ways to control the Kyuubi through the sealing process? And how many more surprises do you have in store for us?_" mused the masked nin quietly.

The rest of the night was filled with the soft breathing of two children, the gentle sounds of the surrounding forest, and a pensive teenage jonin.


	4. Chakra Control

When Itachi woke the next morning he was surprised to see Naruto and Kakashi already up and about. Which was unexpected, since Itachi woke up at 6:00 in the morning. While he was still trying to get his brain to function, he was assaulted by an orange ball of energy.

"IIIIIIITTTTAAAACCCCHIIIII-NNIIIII-SSSAAANNN!" yelled Naruto in a sing-song voice as he glomped the Uchiha heir. "I was wondering when you were going to wake up! 'Kashi showed me something really cool and he said I have all day to practice it! Will you help me, nii-san?" Naruto continued to babble at the speed of light, while poor Itachi slowly began peeling off his orange attachment, all the while trying to process what the blonde was saying.

"Something really cool, eh?" said Itachi finally gathering some of his wits. "What was it?"

"Climbing trees!" Naruto answered enthusiastically.

"With Chakra" Kakashi supplied, seeing that Itachi was still struggling to wake up and process everything the blonde was babbling about. At Itachi's surprised look, which was only indicated by a slight widening of his eyes, Kakashi went on to explain, "Naruto-kun seems to have a natural grasp of what chakra is and how to use it. I thought it was best to start him on some chakra control exercises. I think this area is secure and it would be safe for us to stay here for a few days."

At this point Naruto had already ran off to a nearby tree to practice some more. Kakashi continued, "Also, when we enter the desert it would make traveling easier for all of us if he can control his chakra to walk _on_ the sand instead of _in _the sand."

"Hai, lead-" Itachi began.

"Itachi-kun, we will be on this mission together for a long time, correct?" Kakashi asked, earning a nod from the puzzled 10-year old. "Then I think we should drop some of the formalities, ne?" Seeing Itachi about to protest, and knowing exactly what the boy was going to say, on account that Kakashi would have probably made the same argument at his age, the silver haired-nin continued, "I'm not belittling the importance of this mission, Itachi-kun, however the more comfortable we are with each other the more comfortable Naruto-kun will be with both of us."

That did it, the Uchiha snapped his mouth shut and nodded. Kakashi noted to himself that Itachi seemed to have taken to the boy already, quite the feat after reading the Uchiha's personality profile. Testing to make sure he got his point across (you never truly know with an Uchiha), Kakashi said, "So since we are on the same page now, let's go see how the bundle of energy is faring on tree climbing, ne?" As he began to walk to the other side of camp to where the blonde was practicing, Kakashi called over his shoulder," Oh, right, there's some breakfast left over there by the fire. Naruto-kun woke up around 4:30 this morning."

Slowly eating his breakfast, Itachi could begin to appreciate the cool autumn morning. With the sun barely over the horizon, and a gentle wind at his back, it promised to be a beautiful, mild day. Stretching slowly Itachi set off to the stream to clean up and prepare for the day.

* * *

A little while later both Itachi and Kakashi were standing, mouths agape, at the little blonde boy who was hanging upside down from the tallest branch, on a relatively tall tree. "_How'd he manage to master it so quickly? _They both thought confusedly.

Naruto, for his part, was enjoying being the center of attention- in a good way, for once. "Kashi, nii-san, WATCH THIS!" Naruto hollered, as he proceeded to bounce from one limb to another in a complete circle around the small group of trees around them. Grinning to himself, he forgot to watch where he was going….and ran smack dab into the branch he had been hanging upside down on moments before.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" yelled Naruto.

Before Kakashi could say or do anything, Itachi called out- "Otouto, grab onto the tree with your chakra!"

Somewhere in Naruto's fogged mind of "_!_!" he heard Itachi's voice and instinctively pulled his body around from a free-fall position and grabbed the tree with both hands and feet maintaining a steady enough flow of chakra to stop himself. He grinned brightly down at the two watching him, "I did it! YATTA! I DID IT!"

Kakashi cracked a smile and Itachi smirked. "Good job Naruto!" Kakashi called.

"Hn."

Both Kakashi and Itachi thought that if the boy smiled any harder not only would they both go blind, but his face would be stuck that way permanently. Not that either would mind, after seeing Naruto so scared over normal interactions over the past day or so.

"_It's amazing_," mused Kakashi as Naruto began to climb again, "_you would think that he's had the happiest childhood ever with the way he's acting right now. His eyes are so bright and he exudes positive energy. This is one special kid." _Kakashi was pulled from his musings when Itachi gracefully climbed up the tree and began chasing Naruto around. "_Who would have thought that most stoic, promising prodigy the Uchiha Clan has ever seen would be running around like a little kid, helping a jinchuuriki learn chakra control after only knowing him for a day." _

Up in the trees, Itachi and Naruto were having the time of their lives. Naruto, because he was actually playing with someone; Itachi because no one was yelling at him to stop fooling around and train. "Otouto, watch the weak branches, be aware of your surroundings."

"Alright, nii-san." Naruto called. "Hey, Kashi!" called the blonde, "come play with us!"

Kakashi laughed, but jumped up into the trees and helped Itachi chase Naruto around the tree tops. By the time lunch rolled around Naruto could move around the trees like he'd been doing it for years. He'd only stepped on one weak branch, but he'd quickly caught himself. Kakashi and Itachi had also thrown a little strategy training at him too. Overall, the youngest of the trio was thrilled and full of energy and the two older ones were amazed by the boy's bright mind.

Lunch was fish from the nearby stream. It was also a lunch Kakashi wouldn't soon forget.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_Kakashi stood on top of the water, looking down at the clear depths and more importantly, the lunch swimming around underneath his very feet. Forming hand seals he watched a small vortex of water (he hadn't much chakra behind it) appear, and viola'! Fish. The lazy way. _

_He used his speed to catch about twelve fish before they dropped back in the water. After cleaning and starting to cook the fish, Itachi and Naruto came bounding (yes, Itachi was bounding too) into sight._

"_Kashi! That was so cool! Can you teach me?" Naruto asked, excitedly._

"_Huh?" was Kakashi's response._

"_We saw you do that cool thing with the water from the treetops!" Naruto informed Kakashi._

"_Huh?" was Kakashi intelligent response yet again, noting that Itachi had activated his Sharingan._

"_That …..what's it called nii-san?"_

"_Jutsu. Water style." Itachi replied._

"_Yeah! Teach me that jutsu!" Naruto bounced up and down._

"_Naruto, I can't teach you ninjutsu," Kakashi laughed, but then noticed the depressed look on Naruto's face, rushed to add, "until you know the hand seals. You need hand signs to perform ninjutsu."_

"_Oh! Is that it?" Naruto asked cheerfully. "I think I know most of them!"_

_Kakashi raised an eyebrow, "And how would you know them?" Watching the shadows flicker across the blonde's happy face, Kakashi almost regretted asking._

"_The people who liked to beat me up used them all the time." Naruto said quietly, expecting a reprimand of some kind. What he looked up and saw was another story, however. Kakashi had lifted his headband to reveal his Sharingan, and Itachi was trembling with barely-contained rage. But, as Naruto noticed, none of their anger was directed __**at**__ him. _

_Feeling safe to continue already, Naruto babbled on before either of the elder ninja could speak, "I know em! And I can show you!" he said excitedly. Then, to the utter amazement of the still pissed off ninja, Naruto proceeded to perform all the seals,._

"_Okay…." Naruto took a deep breath, "Here we go! Bird (Rooster)." Perfectly executed._

"_Boar (Pig)." Flawless, even to the Sharingan._

"_Dog." Kakashi held his breath. "__**The people of Konoha have made a huge mistake, underestimating this child. He is his father's son."**_

"_Dragon." Itachi was watching the boy closely, and had yet to see a mistake in his formation of the seals. "__**Amazing." **__thought the young Uchiha._

_Their amazement only grew as Naruto went through the remaining seals- Rabbit, Horse, Ox, Monkey, Ram (Sheep), Rat, Snake, and Tiger._

_There was silence for a few moments, and Naruto was beginning to get a little scared that he'd done something wrong when Kakashi swept the boy off his feet and spun him in a circle. _

_"That's my boy!" Kakashi yelled. "You learned all that, just by watching?" asked the slightly out-of-breath silver haired nin. At the shy nod of Naruto's head, Kakashi glomped the boy again. Kakashi hugged the boy to him and thought, "Can you see him Minato-sensei? Even when he was down he was learning."_

_After awakening from his rage/amazement induced stupor Itachi walked over to Naruto and ruffled the boy's hair. "Well done, otouto, very well done." Then, Uchiha Itachi smiled at the boy. Really smiled. _

_Kakashi watched his two young charges from the ground, (where he had fallen after a chibi-style happy dance), and smiled behind his mask. "**Who knows, Hokage-sama, Minato-sensei. We just might become the most dysfunctional family in all of Fire Country."**_

_When they had regrouped, Kakashi told Naruto the signs for the jutsu and had Naruto stand beside the water. Kakashi stood beside the boy and Itachi stood on the water's surface in front of the blonde. to analyze the boys signs should there be any error. "Now remember Naruto, only put a little chakra behind i-" Kakashi was cut off by a vortex forming to his right. "**On his first try- ever**!" thought the Copy-nin. Unfortunately, Naruto was so excited that he lost concentration and instead of a vortex, all three were immediately drenched by a massive shower of uncontrolled water._

_Naruto, seeing his 'Kashi and nii-san drenched looked at himself and jumped for joy. "I did it! I got it to form!" Even though they were both sopping wet, Itachi and Kakashi couldn't help but smile at the boy's enthusiasm. _

"_Hai, you did, Naruto-kun." said Itachi, still smiling. "But next time, I'm not standing anywhere near you."_

_Naruto just stuck out his tongue at the Uchiha, while Kakashi nearly had a heart attack. "**A joke? Uchiha Itachi told a joke?" **his mind sputtered. "**This is going to be one hell of a mission, indeed."**_

_**End Flashback**_

* * *

"So, Kashi." Naruto spoke up.

"Hmm?" said the Copy-nin who was lazing against a tree, reading his orange book.

"Why do you have the red swirly-eyes like nii-san?" Naruto asked innocently.

Kakashi nearly choked on his own saliva as his mind raced to formulate a response

Surprisingly, Itachi was the one who rescued him from that awkward moment. "Otouto, why don't I teach you how to walk on water?"

Instantly his question to Kakashi was forgotten, and Naruto began to bounce up and down in excitement. "Really, you can teach me to do that?" he asked. Itachi nodded and took the boy over to the stream, explaining the difference between tree-climbing and water-walking.

* * *

For the next week the trio worked on chakra control, the basics of ninjutsu, and the beginnings of taijutsu.

Early in the morning on their ninth day at their makeshift homestead, Kakashi was awakened by Itachi- who was on watch. "Kakashi-sempai!" the young ninja said, "Kakashi-sempai! There are five chakra signatures coming our way!"

That woke Kakashi up. "Itachi, take my bag, gather Naruto and keep heading towards the desert, I'll catch up to you two later."

"Hai." Itachi quickly made his way to Naruto's side and gathered the boy, his belongings, and Kakashi's bag, then took off at top speed into the night. Kakashi meanwhile, modified his camp to make it look like he was alone. Before long he felt the genjutsu being released, and though he was feigning sleep Kakashi was more than ready for a fight.

The chakra signatures came closer.

Closer.

100 feet.

50 feet

25 feet..

15 feet.

10 feet.

5 feet. Kakashi tightened his grip on his kunai, hidden under his body. Deep, steadying breath.

Then-

"THERE YOU ARE MY MOST YOUTHFUL RIVAL! WE HAVE LOOKED EVERYWHERE FOR YOU!" boomed Gai's voice, complete with a waterfall of tears and a sunset background. At least, until Anko whacked him over the head., grumbling about ruining the "stealth" of the group.

Kakashi groaned. "What. Are. You. Guys. Doing. Here?"


	5. Drabbles and Gifts

"Awwww, 'Kashi-kun, not happy to see us?" Anko teased.

"You spend a week with two bundles of energy." Kakashi grumbled, still on high alert. "and what's with scaring me half to death?"

"Da-the Hokage told us about your mission. We wanted to give you some stuff and wish you luck." Asuma said, puffing on his cigarette.

"So you came in the middle of the night?" whined Kakashi. Seriously, couldn't they have come at like- noon?

This made them all laugh. "We didn't want to arouse suspicion, so we got together about a mile outside of Konoha. We're all on missions right now." Genma explained, rolling his senbon around his mouth.

"But, seriously, the middle of the night?" Kakashi groaned again, bemoaning his loss of sleep.

"You realize that Naruto-kun will be up at exactly 6:00 A.M. and there's no way in hell Itachi-kun will let me off the hook- I teach him taijutsu first thing in the morning."

Radiou spoke up, "Why didn't you make Itachi-san take the 6:00 A.M. taijutsu? You outrank him after all."

Kakashi sighed, "Because he has last watch." Seeing the still-curious faces of his friends, Kakashi decided to tell them Naruto's schedule before he got hounded to death. "Naruto-kun's schedule goes like this: At 6:00 A.M an orange blur appears. Breakfast. Hygiene. Then from 7:00 A.M.-10:00A.M.- Taijutsu, taught by me. From 10:00 A.M.-12:00P.M.- Critical thinking. Strategy. Bookwork. Weapons. Taught by Itachi-kun. My personal favorite is 12:00 P.M.-2:00P.M.-Lunch. Then, my break is 2:00 P.M.-5:00 P.M.- Genjutsu training with Itachi-kun. Another personal favorite is 5:00 P.M.-7:00 P.M.- Supper. Then, Naruto's favorite, 7:00 P.M.-10:00 P.M.- Ninjutsu training with myself and Itachi-kun.

When Kakashi opened his one eye his friends were staring at him in shock. Finally Asuma spoke up, "That's great Kaakshi….but you think you're pushing Naruto-kun a little too hard?" Anko, Gai, Radiou, and Genma nodded their heads in agreement. "I mean, the boy is only five years old."

Kakashi laughed. All-out laughed. His friends took a step back, now officially worried about the Copy-Nin, the Uchiha, and Naruto.

Seeing his friends very perplexed expressions, Kakashi forced himself to calm down and explain. "Naruto-kun has insane amounts of stamina. And if Itachi-kun and I were to let him he would train all night _and _all day. " Seeing his friends start to relax, he continued. "Also, Itachi-kun was…_concerned_ that Naruto-kun would throw himself so deeply into training and getting stronger that he would forget to take the time to be a kid."

Anko gasped, "Uchiha-ice-cube was worried about Naruto-kun?" The others mirrored her shock.

Kakashi nodded "Itachi-kun told me that in order for Naruto to trust him when they first met, Naruto-kun demanded that he be allowed to call Itachi-kun 'Itachi-nii-san' and in return Itachi-kun has started calling him otouto'."

Gai opened his mouth, but Anko cut him off, "One word and you're snake food, Gai!" pointed glare at the 'Green Beast' who promptly shut his mouth and the sunset background faded. "Let me get this straight, Cyclops. Not only have you gotten Uchiha-ice-cube to show emotion, he calls our little fox his 'otouto'?"

Kakashi smiled his patented one-eyed smile, while his friends sweat-dropped. "Pretty crazy, isn't it?"

* * *

Itachi ran as fast as his legs would carry him, jumping from tree to tree taking note that they were beginning to thin out even more and the ground underneath them was beginning to look softer. On his back Naruto began to stir slightly, whimpering. "Shhh, otouto, it will be alright nii-san is here." Itachi found himself murmuring. It was strange to the Uchiha prodigy to have such a desire to protect this boy after knowing little more than a week.

It was not that Itachi did not love his own otouto, Sasuke, but rather the clan decided when Itachi was seven and manifested the Sharingan that Sasuke was only a hindrance. Thusly, they kept the boys apart as much as possible. Even when Itachi would make plans with his otouto his father would find something "important" that the elder sibling had to attend to. Eventually Itachi stopped making plans with his brother so he would not have to see his sad face when he found out that Itachi was not going to be able to play with him.

So how did this blonde haired bundle of energy work his way into Itachi's heart so quickly?

Itachi kept his senses on high alert as he continued to speed through the trees, although his thoughts began to wander once more. He began to think about the clan meeting the day he left Konoha.

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

Itachi stood outside the clan meeting hall, cloaked in shadows, listening to the incoherent discussions going on inside. "Father forces me to attend these boring things all the time, so why wasn't I ordered to go?" he mused quietly.

Inside

"_Order!" Fugaku thundered. "We are here to discuss the Sandaime's demand that we allow both our heirs to accompany the demon-spawn and the thieving Hatake Kakashi on a training journey." _

_Immediately the hall erupted in chaos. "ORDER!" Fugaku yelled again. "Now, what do we have at our disposal to stop this from happening?"_

_One clan elder spoke up, "Fugaku-sama, why don't we let them take Itachi? He has become too strong and is now a threat to the clan. However, Sasuke-kun is still young. We learned from our **mistake** and there is still time to mould young Sasuke-kun into the perfect Uchiha. Itachi, however, is a lost cause."_

_Most of the clansmen nodded in agreement._

_Except one._

"_You mean to tell me that after you stole his childhood, kept him away from other children, and forced him to make his first kill at the age of seven, you are simply going to discard him like a broken tool?" Uchiha Yahiko outraged. _

_The other members of the building began to sputter and grapple for a strong defense against their fellow clans member's harsh words. Murmurs of "We thought he was our future." and "If only he wasn't so loyal to the Hokage." _

_Fugaku himself only narrowed his eyes and set his lips into a thin line muttering, "Sacrifices are necessary for the good of the clan." This was quickly silenced by the massive wave of killing intent that swept from the doorway of the meeting hall._

"_My father is speaks the truth." stated an extremely pissed off 15-year-old Uchiha Shisui._

**END FLASHBACK**

* * *

Itachi heard a twig snap to his left and he quickly turned his body to face the intruder. Fluidly slipping out a kunai from his pouch he quickly dropped into a fighting stance, while activating his Sharingan. "Show yourself." Itachi commanded, ice dripping from his voice.

"Now 'Tach-kun, is that any way to talk to your _favorite cousin_?" chuckled the shaded figure.

"Especially when your _favorite cousin _is bringing you good news?"

* * *

Kakashi smiled his patented one-eyed smile, while his friends sweat-dropped. "Pretty crazy, isn't it?"

"Crazy wasn't the word I was looking for….fucking miracle is more like it." Anko rambled.

"For once I agree with the crazy snake lad- OW!" Genma yelped as Anko's fist came crashing down on his head.

"Anyway, we all agree with Anko. Can we get down to business before we're suspected?" Asuma drawled. Instantly everyone straightened up and looked at Asuma. Sighing, Asuma reached into his vest and pulled out a scroll tossing it to Kakashi, "Hokage-sama wanted me to give you that. And sine you're going to be gone for some time the rest of us decided to give you-"

Anko cut Asuma off "to give you don't-you-dare-forget-us-and-that-brat-had-better-remember-us-too-damnit' gifts. And let me tell you Cyclops if that gaki doesn't remember me I swear-"

"That she'll do something horrible that only our Anko could think of." finished Radiou.

"SUCH YOUTHF-" Genma clamped his hand over Gai's mouth, thus stopping the five minutes of anime tears in front of a sunset background or his gruesome death by their resident crazy snake lady.

"Now, then, I'm giving you this." Asuma tossed Kakashi a sealed weapons scroll. "Don't let Naruto open it until at least his sixth birthday."

"Here." Genma and Radiou said at the same time, tossing two scrolls at the Copy Nin, who looked confused.

"They're unmarked for a reason, baka." Genma said casually.

"Same rule as Asuma." Radiou said.

"HERE MY YOUTHFUL FRIEND!" Gai boomed, tossing another scroll to Kakashi, who looked at the scroll in surprise.

"Are you sure Gai?" Kakashi asked quietly after he saw just what his rival/friend had given him.

"Hai, Kakashi. They're the most versatile and you don't have time nor the expense to spare to buy new ones all the time." Gai said, subdued. No one said anything this time. Gai had given Kakashi the weights he had used to train himself in taijutsu. The stronger the user became, the heavier the weights. They had been a gift to Gai from the Yondaime Hokage.

"Here Cyclops." Anko said, her voice devoid of her usual teasing, tossing two scrolls to Kakashi. "One's from….from….Kushina-sensei…..she gave it to me…..just in…..just in case…." Anko turned away.

No one said anything for a while.

"Well, we should be going guys." Asuma said quietly.

"Yeah." the rest of the jonin said.

Unexpectedly Anko burst out, "We really tried Kakashi, we really tried to protect him while you were gone. I….I really….."

Anko's outburst was stopped by strong arms pulling her into a brotherly embrace. "I know Anko-nee-chan. I know. It's just…how I found him when I came back….and he didn't even know me!"

Asuma clapped Kakashi on his left shoulder, tears building in the younger Sarutobi's eyes, "I…we just wanted you to know Kakashi, we really did try our best. But Gai was telling the truth. We have been sent on missions that chunin or genin should be handling, but it really has been the council trying to keep us away from Naruto-kun"

"And the promise we made you, old friend." Genma interjected while Radiou and Gai looked at the trees, trying to squelch the feelings of loss and betrayal.. The loss of a promise to protect a friend and comrade's precious person and the betrayal of the council they served, the very ones who rendered them useless in Naruto's time of need.

After a few more minutes of silence Kakashi spoke. "I used to be a walking rule book. It took my best friend's death for me to realize what was truly important to me." He turned to look at his friends. "You all are …important to me as well. I know you tried to protect him, and I know that the dammed council got in the way. "

At the looks of self-loathing he saw on his friends faces, Kakashi smiled his patented eye-crease at his friends. "Arigato." Slowly, smiles replaced the expressions of despair. After a few moments of resting in the feeling of forgiveness, the five visiting Konoha jonin gathered their discarded packs, each lost in their own thoughts.

As they prepared to go their separate ways and the sun's first ray kissed the lush forest floor, they all swore silently to save their home village from its own foolishness. To make the Village Hidden in the Leaves everything that their beloved Yondaime Hokage hoped she would be.

Anko looked up at Kakashi with her patented smirk, "Hey- Cyclops. If that brat forgets me, I really **will** feed your special parts to my favorite snake." With another pointed (creepy) look at the unfortunate Copy Nin, Anko took off through the trees with all the grace and speed one would expect from a kunoichi.

The five male shinobi sweat-dropped.

"Well, at least some things never change. See ya Kakashi." Asuma laughed as he "poofed" away with Radiou and Genma.

Gai looked at his friend/rival and struck his good guy' pose. "Since you have an apprentice, I will find one as well, and we shall see who wins this challenge of youth or I will walk around on my hands for an entire day! YOSH!" Kakashi, having been momentarily blinded by the "ching" off of Gai's teeth didn't see his friend depart, but knew he'd done something flashy.

"Good luck guys." Kakashi said to an empty clearing. Then something clicked in his mind.

"Hey-wait! It's dawn…my precious sleep!" the Copy Nin whined.

* * *

Taking his eyes off the orb that had allowed him to see everything, the Sandaime laughed away the tears in his eyes. "Indeed, some things never change." Looking out the window at his village, Sandaime's smile never wavered, "But, for your sake, Naruto-kun, I hope some things do change."


	6. Two Little Brothers

"Now Tach-kun, is that any way to talk to your _favorite cousin_?" chuckled the shaded figure. "Especially when your _favorite cousin _is bringing you good news?"

"Shisui! Itachi exclaimed, though his face betrayed nothing. Itachi was torn between embracing his cousin and readying for an attack. "What are you doing here?" he finally asked.

"Tach-kun, I'm hurt!" Shisui clutched his chest as if his heart was breaking. Itachi rolled his eyes, his cousin was such a drama queen sometimes. Seeing that he was having no effect on the younger Uchiha, Shisui stopped messing around and addressed what he had come to do. "Here 'Tach-kun, it's from your otouto, and my father said that he spoke to Hokage-sama and set up a way to send Sasuke-kun letters, just send them to the address inside the scroll, and we'll make sure he gets them. He really misses you already, you know."

Itachi nodded slowly, taking the scroll from his older cousin, unwilling to think about the events that happened shortly before he left Konoha.

Shisui drank in the appearance of his younger cousin slowly. Here was Uchiha Itachi, a jonin and ANBU Black Op, with a blonde-haired boy on his back, a kunai in one hand, and a letter from his precious otouto in the other. "_What did he ever do but uphold the clan values and be perfect at everything?" _Shisui mused, "_Why are they so scared of him? Why did they take Sasuke-kun away from him? His otouto was his only source of happiness! Fugaku-sama started training Itachi when he was barely old enough to walk for Kami's sake!"_ Taking a deep, cleansing breath Shisui spoke again, "You heard didn't you? The clan meeting?" looking straight into Itachi's eyes.

A barely noticeable shudder ran through the younger Uchiha before he replaced his usual indifferent mask, "Hai."

"Itachi-kun…."

"It doesn't matter." Itachi's voice had once again started to drip with ice, though he now looked at the trees to his left. "I have a mission and I will complete it without question for the good of Konoha." Inside though, Itachi felt like screaming. "_What did I ever do but be what they wanted? Why did they take Sasuke away from me? And why can't they see that Naruto-kun is just as special as Sasuke is? The bastards!"_

"'Tach-kun….."

"Enough Shisui." Itachi said, his chin almost resting on his chest and his hair in his eyes. "We both know that my father thinks I am a mistake and unworthy of the _Uchiha legacy_." At this Shisui's eyes narrowed and anger flamed throughout his body, he was brought back by Itachi's next words. "Promise me, Shisui, that you'll watch over Sasuke since I can't be there."

Shisui's gaze softened slightly, looking at his younger cousin's bowed head, feeling compassion and awe for the younger Uchiha. Itachi had asked him a lot of things over his lifetime, but never to protect anyone. In Shisui's heart of hearts, he prayed that Itachi was beginning to break the wall that had surrounded his heart for so long. The one he knew his younger cousin had created to keep people out, because he feared what Fugaku would do to anyone who got close to him.

"It's strange, Shisui," Itachi's voice was softer than Shisui ever remembered it being, "almost our whole clan wants me gone for being too loyal to the village and 'uncontrollable', when they are the ones who trained me! They want Sasuke to be strong enough to kill me and avenge' the _Uchiha legacy_. They're so foolish!" Itachi ranted. Shisui simply watched his cousin neutrally, letting his cousin vent.

"It's same type of foolishness with their treatment of Naruto-kun. I had never known him, so I was indifferent to how they thought and acted. But now, after being with him and teaching him for only a short time, I understand. I understand why shinobi exist in the first place." Itachi tightened his grip on his kunai knife and Shisui held his breath, "Of course I had heard about protecting those close to you, but since I had always been cut off from other people I did not truly understand what it meant to protect those closest to your heart."

Turning his head slightly to see the blonde hair of his young charge, Itachi did something he had no recent recollection of doing. He cried, one tear after another slipping down his face. The cracks in the wall that surrounded him and protected him was quickly crumbling, and for all his formidable abilities as a shinobi there was nothing he could do to stop the process. What surprised the prodigy more was that he had no desire to stop it, this destruction of a fake persona.

"But Naruto-kun has helped me remember what a precious person is, and Kami help that foolish clan of ours if they continue in their misguided path of vengeance against him! I would wipe them all off the face of this earth to keep both of me otouto safe. Naruto-kun from the damage they can do to an outsider of the clan, and Sasuke from the damage the clan can inflict on one of her own. I will protect them both Shisui." Itachi looked up, his Sharingan still active, and Shisui gasped.

Itachi did not notice his older cousin's sharp intake of breath, however, he was still sorting through the new feelings invading his body, soul, and heart. "I need your help though Shisui. I can't be in two places at once, and I want to make sure Sasuke is kept safe until he joins us when he is seven." Itachi finally notices that Shisui was staring at him weirdly, but before he could ask what was wrong Naruto began to wake up, moving around on Itachi's back and nearly knocking him over in the process.

Shisui just smiled at his cousin as he struggled to stay upright with a five year old moving around on his back. "Well, 'Tach-kun, I should go before your young charge is fully awake, but I want you to know something Itachi." Itachi looked up at his cousin curiously, his eyes once again their normal midnight black. "I want you to know that my father said he was proud of you, and-" Shisui stepped forward and embraced Itachi quickly, before jumping up into the branches of a nearby tree. "And so am I, 'Tach-kun. Don't lose that Will of Fire that Naruto-kun has rekindled within you, it will be the future of our clan, and our village." And with those words spoken, Naruto opened his eyes fully and Shisui was gone.

"Nii-san, where's 'Kashi?" asked a still-mostly-asleep Naruto, shifting on Itachi's back, before snuggling back into the warmth the Uchiha provided.

"He's back at our campsite, we decided to move." Itachi replied calmly, while crouching down so Naruto could stand up on his own. Reluctantly Naruto moved away from Itachi to stand on his own stubby legs, shifting to get his blood moving.

"But, why in the middle of the night, nii-san? Kashi loves to sleep." Naruto pointed out cutely.

Itachi had to think for a second, then it hit him. "A race!" he replied.

"A…..race?" Naruto repeated, skeptical.

"Yes, a race to the border of the Land of Wind. Kashi gave us a head start, it's part of your training." Itachi replied, guiding Naruto over to a small clearing so they could make a quick breakfast.

"Oh! That's where 'Kashi said we were going, they have Suna- the Village Hidden in the Sand, right?" Naruto said, bouncing up and down, proud that he knew that much.

"Hai, that's right otouto!" Itachi said with a smirk, the kid learned fast. "Now hurry and eat, so we can keep moving."

While Naruto cleaned up after breakfast, Itachi wrote a quick note to Kakashi and stashed it in a nearby tree, telling the older nin what he had told Naruto, and where they were headed.

"Alright, otouto, do you remember how to tree jump?" Itachi teased.

"I can do it almost as good as you nii-san- believe it!" Naruto shouted, pumping his fist in the air.

"Then let's go!" Itachi chuckled, grabbing their packs and taking off in the direction of the Land of Wind, Naruto at his side in seconds.

* * *

"A race, eh?" chuckled a tired Copy Nin a few hours later, still bemoaning his loss of rest. "Wait! That's it! Itachi-kun you really are a genius!" Kakashi cackled, scribbling furiously on a slip of paper. "There we go!" Biting his thumb and doing the proper hand seals, he shouted,

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

In a puff of smoke a small dog with a Konoha headband appeared in front of Kakashi. "Yo."

"Pakkun, please take this scroll to Itachi-kun and Naruto-kun." Kakashi said, handing Pakkun the paper Itachi had written to sniff.

"Hai." Pakkun replied before taking off to do as his summoner asked.

"Perfect!" Kakashi giggled, doing a chibi-style happy dance, before finding a comfy-looking out of the way clearing. "AHHHH….my precious!" Kakashi said as he pulled out his sleeping bag and pillow. "AHHHH….my precious sleep!" and the Copy Nin bid the waking world a good day.

* * *

**2-Day TIMESKIP**

Itachi and Naruto had made it to the Land of Wind that morning and were currently enjoying the shade of a cliff and a bubbling stream of cool water, something that did not happen often in the desert. As a matter of fact, Naruto had already voiced his disapproval of the heat, and the sand…..and the sand.

Did he mention how much Naruto hated the sand?

"Nii saaaaaaaaan," Naruto whined as he jumped into the stream, "Why doesn't this place have any trees?"

"It's the desert, otouto." Itachi responded patiently, sinking into the cool water gratefully.

"But, how do they play hide and seek?" pouted Naruto. That was his favorite game, damnit!

Itachi smiled indulgently at the younger boy, "They just have to be more creative." Seeing

Naruto about to protest, he added, "Plus, it gives them a chance to learn different jutsu." That got the blonde.

"Different jutsu?" Naruto said. Itachi counted down the seconds silently.

5.…..

4.…

3.….

2.…..

1..."NII-SAN! WILL YOU TEACH ME THESE DIFFERENT JUTSU? PLEASE!" Naruto shouted/begged.

Itachi chuckled and sank deeper in the water.

* * *

Just a few hours away across the unforgiving desert sands and the oppressive desert heat was the Village Hidden in the Sand. Among the dune shaped abodes of this somewhat humble yet fierce shinobi village, in the grandest tower was their kage- the Kazekage. The aforementioned kage was lost in his internal monolouge of how to get rid of his _**problem**_.

The Kagekage was a fairly handsome man, and his wife had been a beautiful woman with blonde hair. Had been. The anger boiled within the kage as remembered that his beloved wife had been gone for a little over six years now. Her death had been _**his **_fault. Just as he curled his fist to punch something-anything, a knock sounded on his office door.

"Father?" a young girl's voice sounded through the door. "Father, may I come in?" she called again.

"Come in." the Kazekage commanded, sitting back down in his chair.

The door opened revealing a 9-year-old girl with big blue eyes, and blonde hair tied up into five ponytails stepped inside, shutting the office door behind her. "Father, would you tell Baki-sensei that we need to practice without Gaara there?" She pleaded. "He's always talking to his sand, and I'm sca-"

"Enough Temari." the Kazekage said tersely. "Gaara is your…teammate. Since he killed your uncle no one has been able to get close to him, so until I can figure something out you will just have to deal with him, now out!"

"Hai….Kazekage-sama." replied Temari, turning to leave.

Neither Temari nor the Kazekage noticed the small red-head with the kanji for 'love' standing against the wall in the next room, hatred on his face and betrayal in his eyes. "_I guess I should be used to it by now, though."_ he thought.

"_**Kill them, child." **_a demented voice in head said. "_**Kill them for making you suffer."**_

The boy clutched his head in agony, the sands around his feet becoming agitated. "_Mother_. _Please don't, I don't want to hurt anyone. I always hurt people. Why?_" he whispered picking himself off the floor and walking out the door to the building, intending to go to his apartment.

Instead his feet led him towards the gates of Suna, then to her broad desert beyond. The people he passed looked at him with hatred and fear, the guards at the gate stopped breathing until he was well past their positions. They all thought the same thing, "_Die, monster." _The boy kept walking, not fully knowing where he was going, just walking- wishing the pain in his chest away.

* * *

Itachi and Naruto had finally climbed out of the refreshingly cool water and were fully dressed- in layered clothing, resting in the shade of the cliff. No words were really exchanged, just enjoying each other's company in companionable silence. Suddenly Itachi tensed, but surprisingly Naruto beat him to the punch. "Nii-san, hostile chakra signature two hundred feet."

Itachi looked at Naruto, amazed. Naruto just grinned sheepishly, "I learned from trying to hide from villagers." he explained looking at his toes, missing the look of rage that flashed across Itachi's face.

Cautiously they edged around the cliff, still staying in the shadow, trying to get a look at their intruder. When they used a kunai like a mirror all they saw was a boy around Naruto's age with a huge gourd, red hair, and a problem with mumbling to himself.

Then Naruto noticed the boy stumbling, so being the hyperactive blonde he is he proceeded to run out into the open and call out to the red-head.

"Hey you!" Naruto called happily, waving wildly when the boy's head snapped up, "Come here and get out of the sun!"


	7. An Old Man's Decision

It was most likely shock of someone addressing him without fear, or the dehydration that he was feeling, that led the red-head to not kill the blonde and follow his advice. Stumbling into the shade of the cave the red-head was surprised that the blonde raced to catch him before he fell.

Naruto yelped when sand shot out at him, hitting him on the arm and leg, but he didn't let go of the boy that he held in arms. Well, he held the sand that held the boy, but whatever. What shocked him more was the fear on the boy's face when he saw the blood dripping down Naruto's arm.

"I'm sorry." the boy said quietly, his eyes flashing between emotions so quickly that Naruto couldn't keep up.

Then the blonde's brain processed the words that came out of the red-head's mouth, and he tilted his head to the side with a befuddled look on his face, "Sorry? For what?" he asked.

Itachi meanwhile, was quietly analyzing the situation. It seemed as though the sand acted without the boy's permission, and though the boy's skin was flawless you could tell that he had been abused- most likely for the majority of his life. Then Itachi's eyes widened as he remembered how Naruto first reacted to him, and how the boy was reacting to Naruto. Putting together the behavior and the seemingly independent action of the sand, there was only one conclusion. "_He's the jinchuuriki of the Village Hidden in the Sand." _Itachi thought.

"For hurting you…I didn't mean to I never mean to….mother…." the red head rambled.

"Whoa, wait, what?" Naruto asked, thoroughly confused now. "How about you tell me your name first, and then we'll keep talking?"

"My name?" the red head asked. "You want to know my name? I'm a monster, why-"

"DON'T CALL YOURSELF THAT!" Naruto roared at the confused boy, completely different that he had been just a moment ago. "YOU'RE A KID, UNDERSTAND? YOU'RE NOT A MONSTER!"

"HOW DO YOU KNOW?" the Ichibi container screamed back, trembling violently in the younger boy's arms. "YOU DON'T KNOW ME, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I'VE DONE! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE COMPLETELY ALONE!" Seeing Naruto about to speak, he continued, "I AM A MONSTER! I KILLED MY MOTHER! MY UNCLE! MY OWN SIBLINGS DON'T WANT ME AROUND!"

"_**That's right, Gaara-kun, no one wants you but me,**_" cooed the sick voice in the red-haired boy's head, "_**and I want no one closer to you than me, he wants to take you away from me- KILL HIM"**_ the voice kept repeating.

"_NO_!" Gaara clutched his head in pain, fear evident in the seafoam green eyes. "_NO_! He's nice,

_**STOP**_!" he screamed as the sand shot out at Naruto. "RUN NARUTO! **RUN!**"

Time slowed at that point.

Itachi raced towards one boy watching the other, praying that he was making the right decision, even though he was ignoring every rule that had been instilled into him as a shinobi.

Reaching the boy, he wrapped his arms around him, ignoring the sand that beat at his body, and he whispered gently., soothingly, "It's alright, little one. We forgive you. You do not disgust us. Just tell her to go away. Naruto-kun and I will be right here. Shhh, it's alright"

Amazingly, as Itachi spoke the sand fell away from both Itachi and Naruto, leaving a sobbing child, a very different Uchiha, and a sun-kissed blonde with a smile to rival the sun.

Not noticing the blood on himself, Naruto rushed over to his nii-san and the sobbing boy, throwing his arms around both of them.

Looking at the injuries on both the people currently holding onto him, Gaara looked away in shame. "I'm so-" he began, only to be cut off by a serious Copy Ninja.

"Stop! Do not apologize." Ignoring the surprised look on Naruto and Itachi's faces, he continued in a gentle yet authoritative voice. "Naruto-kun and Itachi-kun have already forgiven you, but you should know that it is not entirely your fault that you cannot completely control the sand." Kneeling down beside the child, Kakashi looked into tormented eyes that seemed far too old to belong to the small body in front of him. "When they sealed the Shukaku inside you, Gaara-kun, they screwed up the seal, making the seal unstable. It is actually your strong heart and will that has kept the spirit at bay as long as you have." Smiling his patented eye-crease at the boy Kakashi made a decision.

A decision that would effect the future of two villages, a clan, and would mark the difference between a man and a monster.

"You're coming with us, Gaara-kun- let's get moving."

* * *

**7-Day TIMESKIP**

_**Kakashi's Mental Dialogue While Watching Itachi Train Gaara and Naruto in Genjutsu**_

_**They are currently near a small town called Osaka, near the border of Wind and Earth Countries**_

A week. A whole damn week. What the hell have I gotten myself into? Itachi seems to be having the time of his life training with both his otouto, and they all three had more energy than I have ever seen. One would think that getting Naruto a playmate would reduce my role and thusly earn me more sleep time, but noooooooo now I have to do even more! Now instead of 6:00 A.M. they wake at 5:00 A.M.

I feel anime tears coming to my eyes as I think about the loss of all my precious sleep, especially since ninjutsu training always ends at 11:00 P.M. or later. I have reduced myself to putting them to sleep with my Sharingan more than once. Well, sleep for Naruto, and a deep meditative state for Gaara- close enough to count as sleep without the whole unconsciousness and Shukaku-take-over-thing. I would use it on Itachi but the damn kid has one of his own!

Why does Kami hate me so?

Speaking of Kami hating me, I have found that the song I used to sing to Naruto calms Gaara down as well. Whenever the Shukaku started to gain bits of control, Itachi or myself will calm the boy down by singing the song, and Naruto will stay by his new-found friend's side until Gaara is in absolute control again. Then, they would go back to whatever they had been doing. Usually annoying me by waking me up.

Why oh why couldn't they pick on the Uchiha?

Then again, I've never seen Naruto smile as many real smiles as he has since Gaara came into our "group". I remember the first time Itachi called Gaara "Gaara-san" Naruto jumped up and matter-of-factly told Itachi that Gaara was now Itachi's otouto too, and he'd better remember it. I wanted to die laughing when Gaara shyly called Itachi "Nii-san" the first time. The kid was so scared that he was going to get yelled at, and then Naruto ninja-glo0mped him, ruining the moment. Oh, man. Oh, and now I'm 'Kashi-tou-san'. Sheesh. I'm only nineteen! And my hair is _silver _not _grey_! Hrmph. To make matters worse, not only do the brats call me that, but Itachi has started calling me that too. Sigh.

It's strange though. Gaara was so scared and angry when he got here. He told us about his father, siblings, and his uncle. We've finally managed- or rather Naruto managed- to convince him that the voice in his head is not his mother, but the demon that was sealed inside him. Hmm. They broke Itachi's genjutsu, looks like they're progressing. Though Itachi is still using kid gloves. For being as young as they are, and the amount of time they have been training, it's astonishing how far they've come. If Sasuke ever joins us, we will be a force to be reckoned with. I wonder what's taking Pakkun so long. I sent him to search for the 'Super-Pervert' Jiraiya almost an hour ago.

If I wasn't with a bunch of impressionable kids, I'd be in Osaka enjoying the company of a beautiful woman, sake, and plenty of daydreaming material for a long time to come.

Have I mentioned how much Kami hates me? First she takes my sleep, and then my opportunity to indulge my perverted fantasies. Bitch.

Whoa! What and where was that cold chill from? Sheesh.

**End Kakashi's P.O.V.**

* * *

-Poof- "Kakashi." said a little brown dog.

"Hmm?" said the Copy Nin, looking at the dog from the corner of his eye.

"I found him, he's in a tavern called 'Sake Makes Her Beautiful' and he's was striking out, honestly. I gave him the scroll, he said he'd come tomorrow to meet the brats."

"Thanks, Pakkun. You wouldn't want to take my place for ninjutsu training would you old pal?" Kakashi cajoled.

"No. Way. In. Hell. Kakashi." the dog replied before giving his summoner a pointed look and 'poofing' out of existence.

"Damn." Kakashi swore, peeling himself off the ground to go catch fish for dinner.

* * *

The next morning, at 4:30 A.M. much to Kakashi's displeasure, since he'd knocked the boys out at _midnight_, freaking midnight!- there was huge ruckus and a giant toad appeared just beside their camp, with a booming voice saying, "BEHOLD! LOOK ON ME AND WEEP IN ENVY! I AM THE TOAD MOUNTAIN SAGE!" while flexing in various poses, naturally.

"GAAH!" Naruto said, "This guy is as bad as Gai-san!"

At the mention of the taijutsu master, the white-haired man's eye began to twitch.

"Although, I think I like Gai-san's outfit better." Itachi commented dryly. Kakashi choked.

At this comment the self-proclaimed sage blew-up, "WHAT WAS THAT BRAT!"

Itachi remained emotionless, but Gaara and Naruto looked at the guy like they didn't know whether to laugh or throw punches.

"Now, Jiraiya-sama I'm sure they didn't mean….all of it." Kakashi said, trying desperately not to laugh.

"Hmph." said the Toad Sage, dismissing the toad he was standing on and dropping gracefully to the ground. "So this is Uzumaki Naruto, eh?" he said looking at the blonde. "And you must be Sabaku no Gaara, then." he continued looking to the right of the sun-kissed boy to the slightly taller red-head. "Uchiha Itachi." he stated, earning a nod of acknowledgement from the Uchiha heir. "And Hatake Kakashi." he finished with a raised eyebrow. "Please do tell, what business do you have with me?"

At this point Naruto spoke up. He had heard that the only one who might be able to stabilize his friend's seal was the white-haired sanin and he wasn't about to pass up this chance. "Hey! Pervvy Sage! Can you fix Gaara's seal?"

Sputtering Jiraiya yelled, "DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

"You write 'Kashi-tou-san's books, don't you, Pervvy Sage?" challenged Naruto, meeting the man's glare with one of his own.

As he looked down on the small blonde in front of him, it was hard to keep a smile off his face. "_He looks so much like you, Minato. However, he acts just like Kushina. Kami help us."_ A very annoyed huff broke the older man out of his musings, "Well, let me take a look, brat." After exchanging a knowing look with Kakashi, he knelt down to be eye-level with the green-eyed boy.

Gaara looked at the man kneeling in front of him with interest. "_So he's the legendary Toad Sage."_ Even in the Village Hidden in the Sand, Jiraiya was known to be a formidable foe, and here he was trying to help the person that the Sand had labeled their biggest mistake.

How ironic.

After a few moments Jiraiya stood and said, "Itachi-kun, why don't you and the brats spar so I can see what they've learned, Kakashi-kun mentioned that you had been training them." While Itachi took the boys a ways away to spar, Kakashi moved and stood quietly beside Jiraiya.

"Well, what do you think?" the masked nin asked quietly.

"I will require your help, and there will be a total of four hundred and sixty-seven hand seals. It will take a lot of chakra." Jiraiya replied just as quietly. "And, there is the possibility that Gaara might die in the process."

Kakashi said nothing and kept his eye trained on the boys, his visible portion of his face not betraying anything.

"Also, Kakashi, you all will be traveling with me from here on in. We will be seeking out Tsunade-hime after we leave here." Jiraiya said casually, glancing sideways at the younger man beside him.

Shock crossed Kakashi's face for a moment before he replaced his mask of indifference. "Why." he finally asked quietly.

"Isn't it obvious, Kakashi?" the older man mused thoughtfully. "Naruto looks so much like _him_. I couldn't take Naruto with me and I couldn't stay in the village after _it_. I knew you were taking care of him, so I knew he was in good hands. I should have known the damn council would try to take you away and leave him defenseless. The information I send them every once in a while is the only thing I could use to keep them from making him into a living weapon. I already failed _him_ once, from here on in I'm going to be there to help you make sure he stays safe and has a fighting chance. Especially now that his best friend is a fellow jinchuuriki and these two brats have managed to open Uchiha Itachi up to human contact. It's time for me to stop running."

Kakashi said nothing as two tears slipped out of the eyes of the Toad Sage.

He knew that feeling all too well.

* * *

Meanwhile back in Konoha an onyx-eyed 5-year-old was sitting in his cousin's basement reading and re-reading a letter from his beloved anki.

"Dear Otouto,

How are you doing? No doubt Father has only told you that I am on a mission, but I doubt he has said more than that. However Sasuke-kun, I wanted to tell you something: Be careful around Father,

I know you want his approval, just as I did, but guard yourself. You are a smart boy, I trust you can figure out what I'm saying.

Also, I'm sorry Sasuke-kun. I'm sorry for all the times I let Father step in between you and I. I should have stood up for both of us and demanded that we have our time together. Forgive me, otouto, I will make it up to you somehow.

Another thing, I eavesdropped on the council meeting the day I left. It seems that even with our clan getting help from other clan council's they can only hold you until your seventh birthday.

That means, that the longest they can hold you away from me is twenty-one months. I promise otouto, I will find a way to get you away from the clan.

And lastly, don't listen to what they say about Hatake Kakashi and Uzumaki Naruto. I will tell you why later, but for now just trust your anki.

Thank Shisui and his father for me. I will write again soon.

And, otouto I love you. I known I've never really been able to show you, but this mission has made me realize how important you are to me.

Stay strong! Keep your Will of Fire! Fight the idiots in our clan! If you need help, ask Shisui as I have asked him to watch over you until I can get you away from our mindless clan and our father.

-Itachi"

Sasuke's eyes couldn't hold in the tears that had been building in his eyes. "_Anki loves me? He's going to get me away from Father? He asked Shisui-nii-san to watch over me because he was worried?" _He had always known that something strange had gone on with his older brother and their father. Every time his brother had tried to spend time with him their father had come and gotten Itachi for reason or another. Despite his age, Sasuke was very perceptive, and the looks that his father gave Itachi were something that did not go unnoticed.

His mother would occasionally make comments about them spending more time together only to be cut off abruptly by her husband. Sasuke had noticed that he was always sent to his grandparents house on nights that his mother said things like that and was not allowed to go back to his house until the next afternoon. Before she noticed him once, he'd seen her without her smile, she looked so sad and tired. When he asked her, she had just smiled and asked him about his visit to his grandparents.

Snapping out of his daydream, he looked up at his cousin and smiled brightly. "I won't give into them no matter how hard they try! I'll wait for Itachi-nii-san to come and get me!" Then with a look of determination, he stared directly into his cousin's eyes and asked clearly, "Shisui-nii-san, will you train me until anki comes back for me?"

Chuckling slightly and nodding his head 'yes' Shisui reached out and wrapped his younger cousin in a tight hug to keep his emotions in check.. Sasuke was so excited that he didn't notice that there was a shadow in the corner behind them that had seen the whole exchange.


	8. Abandoned!

**Thanks to Lady Laran for pointing out that I messed up Sasuke's name. And doing it nicely! Hehe.**

* * *

Jiraiya and Kakashi had spent the next week enjoying their devious plan.

The 'Plan' went like this:

Step 1: Tell Naruto and Gaara about the jutsu to repair his seal.

Step 2: Convince Naruto that they (Kakashi and Jiraiya) needed a whole week to _rest and replenish _their chakra reserves.

Step 3: Abandon Uchiha Itachi with two bundles of energy and five ninjutsu scrolls and escape to Osaka to enjoy…_mature_ relaxation.

Now on the way back to the makeshift campsite the only thought on the two men's mind was

"Why in the hell didn't we tell them we needed _**two **_weeks?"

* * *

Meanwhile, the day the sannin and jonin 'abandoned' him, Uchiha Itachi actually watched them sneak away_. "Tch, as if I wouldn't notice two strong chakra signatures moving away from camp. I'm a frickin' Uchiha_." Snorting derisively at the apparent lack of faith in him on their part, Itachi looked over at both his sleeping 'otouto' and smiled softly. "_When Sasuke joins us in twenty months or so, I know he'll fit in with these two, and since he is so competitive I'm sure that they won't ever stop training."_

Smirking slightly at the thought of what the three could achieve together he continued his internal musings. "_I only wonder why Sand hasn't sent assassins for the Kazekage's son. He may be a jinchuuriki but the boy is obviously a prodigy in his own right, why wouldn't they try to harness that power if they went through the trouble of sealing the Shukaku spirit within him?"_

Itachi's internal clock told him that is was around 4:30A.M. and the boys would be up and around in less than an hour. Pulling himself gracefully out of his ANBU-issued sleeping bag, he headed to the stream to bathe and catch breakfast.

Twenty minutes later saw a clean Uchiha heir, a crackling fire, and roasting fish. Oh, and two unsuspecting boys left _alone_ with said Uchiha heir. With an unparalleled evil Uchiha smirk, Itachi crept towards the boys without making a sound. Forming the seals he whispered 'Transfer no jutsu' and a thin layer of chakra began to build around the two resting boys slowly pulling them silently out of their sleeping bags and creeping away towards and unpleasant fate. Itachi's smirk only widened as he got closer to his goal.

3.…..

2.…

1...

"RELEASE" he shouted, which caused the two angels to fall.…into the winter-kissed stream their breakfast had been caught in.

"AHHHHHHH!" screamed Naruto and Gaara simultaneously as the cold water invaded their previously warm bodies.

"WHAT THE HELL?" sputtered Naruto as he made his way to the embankment with Gaara in tow. Aforementioned red-head said nothing, only glared at his nii-san….who was hunched over crying tears of mirth because he was laughing so hard.

"That…..was…so…..funny!" Itachi wheezed, trying to regain his breath. "You….should…..see…your….faces." he managed.

Naruto and Gaara had finally reached Itachi and one could tell that they were not impressed. Trying to stave off his impending doom Itachi quickly pointed out that breakfast was ready.

"Just wait nii-san…we'll get you" Naruto mumbled as he walked towards the food. Beside him Gaara was muttering something along the same lines. Though deep down both boys didn't mind. They loved their nii-san's playful side, and were happy that he trusted them enough to not be all business around them. But seriously, he was going to P-A-Y for that prank.

After breakfast Itachi announced that they would work strictly on taijutsu, and both boys groaned. This day couldn't get any better, could it? After doing their warm-ups, they were getting ready to do their morning laps when Itachi tossed two small bags in front of them.

"What are these Itachi-nii-san?" asked Gaara curiously.

Itachi's eyes glinted mischievously, "Why, dear otouto they are weights for your arms and ankles."

Chirp.

"WHYYYYY?" whined Naruto. "You already are making us miserable with straight taijutsu when you know we both suck at it, now you want us to wear these-" his face was tortured and horrified, "-these horrible weights?" he finished dramatically.

"Yes." Itachi answered smugly. Seeing Naruto about to continue his verbal onslaught Itachi continued, "Or I won't open the ninjutsu scrolls Jiraiya-sama left us."

That had the desired effect. No more protests. Until they opened the bags. "HEY!" yelled Naruto indignantly, "Why are my weights twice as heavy as his are?"

Gaara, who had weathered Naruto's temper tantrum without batting an eye thus far spoke up,

"Why, Naruto-kun, afraid I'll still be able to outrun you?"

Instantly Naruto forgot his protests and strapped his wrist and ankle weights on, while Gaara did the same. Looking up at his surrogate brothers he grinned widely, "Watch me leave Gaara in the dust Itachi-nii-san!" and with those words spoken all Itachi saw was a blonde-and-red blur.

They ran roughly six miles every morning, and for being little kids they did it quite well. Then came the numerous push-ups, crunches, sit-ups, pull-ups, and any variations that they could think of to strengthen their bodies. Today, after their basic routine Itachi had them do an extra three miles….on their hands. Finally, after much falling, stumbling, muttered curses, and whines (from both) they finally finished the exercise.

"What- pant- was- pant, pant- the point- pant- of that- pant, pant-" gasped out Gaara. With their new weights it had made the simple task difficult and had taken a lot out of them, while Itachi sat and read a tactical book of shinobi tactics.

"Yeah, really nii-san." gasped out Naruto, "what's walking on our hands going to do to help us with taijutsu?"

Itachi sighed, "Naruto, taijutsu is a physical ninja art. Yes, you can use chakra to enhance your taijutsu techniques, but you need to make your body strong and agile enough to win a fight even if you don't have the use of your chakra."

"Okay-" Gaara began.

"But," Naruto butted in, "WHAT does that have to do with WALKING ON OUR HANDS FOR FOREVER?"

Itachi grimaced. Really, Naruto was a prodigy, but the simplest things had a tendency to stump him. Oh, well. "Naruto, the hands exercise not only improves your stamina and strength in your legs and arms it-"

"-improves your balance as well." finished Gaara. Mouth agape Naruto turned to his friend/brother, but Gaara pressed on, "It's not always the ability to punch holes in things that wins a fight, it's the ability to counter an enemy's attacks and avoid _taking_ damage while _dealing _damage."

Looking in the direction of the Village Hidden in the Sand Gaara continued, almost contemplatively, "I noticed it a lot in my brother and sister's techniques. My brother is studying the puppetry technique while my older sister is learning to manipulate wind using a fan as a conduit. Both techniques inflict damage to an enemy while keeping the user out of range for a counterattack. However, if they ran out of chakra they wouldn't stand much of a chance in a battle because they have not bothered to develop their taijutsu or genjutsu for that matter. Solely focusing on one area is dangerous for a shinobi, a well-rounded shinobi stands a much better chance of survival."

Nodding his head in approval, Itachi continued the lecture, "Although I posses the Sharingan-yes, the red swirly eyes, Naruto-kun, which is primarily used to copy ninjutsu techniques and genjutsu at higher levels, I constantly refine my taijutsu and my weapons mastery. There's no telling when you might run into two or three opponents or groups that require you to find alternate solutions to resolve the situations and so you must always be prepared."

Creasing his brow in thought, Naruto nodded his head slowly, "So what you're saying is that an excellent shinobi has more than one type of attack up his sleeve that could suit any situation with or without chakra?"

Itachi nodded his head sharply, and grinned as a clone appeared and set into a fighting stance,

"But enough talk, let's spar!"

For the next three days the routine was pretty much the same, and by the morning of the fifth day since they had been 'abandoned' the weights had already been doubled. After their lunch Naruto, though, voiced his concern, "OI! NII-SAN! WHAT ABOUT THOSE SCOLLS?" he said while bouncing up and down.

Smiling at Naruto's enthusiasm, while Gaara merely looked at the blonde like he had lost his mind….again, Itachi pulled out the five scrolls and set them in front of Naruto and Gaara. "Pick one you two." he said.

After talking between themselves, they decided that the scroll in the dead center was a good choice. Nodding his head, Itachi replaced the other four scrolls, and opened the one the boys had chosen, At the widening of their nii-san's eyes both boys looked at each other and grinned.

"_This is gonna be good_!" they thought excitedly.

Clearing his throat Itachi looked up, "Well this one is pretty cool, and I _**really**_ think you'll like it, it's called…..

* * *

Meanwhile there was a little girl who was staring out her window, watching the sunset, wondering if her littlest brother would ever come home. "_I wonder if he's alright." _she mused thoughtfully, laced with regret and worry, "_I know I should be nicer to him, but Father makes it so hard. I shouldn't have asked Father to not have Gaara practice with us, but he was scaring me. Well, not really Gaara but…_him_. I remember when Gaara fell asleep once, there was blood everywhere, fortunately uncle was able to wake him up. It's funny I never really liked uncle after Gaara was born. He was almost….creepy. _

Leaning her chin on her hands she languidly watched the shadows creep across the desert floor, "_Like that Orochimaru guy that visits Father every once in a while. I don't like him. But, back to Gaara. I wonder if he gave in to Shukaku or if he found someone to take care of him. I hope he found someone."_

Looking up at the brilliant full moon she whispered, "Tsuki-sama, if you're there, please watch over my little brothers- both of them. I worry about Kankuro killing himself with one of his poisons, and I worry about Gaara…because no matter what, he's my littlest brother and I wish Father hadn't sealed the sand spirit Shukaku into him. And if it's no too much trouble, could you bring him back someday, just so I can tell him I love him?" Smiling to herself, she tried to stop the soft tears that fell on her windowsill. "Thank you, Tsuki-sama. Goodnight."

The next morning the servants were shocked to see the Kazekage's daughter curled up in her youngest brother's bed, looking as if she had cried her heart out.

* * *

There was a time that there were dreams of a bright future. A time when everything would change and the walls would crumble into dust. A time when love ran wild and hearts remained unbroken. However, time presents many different paths for one to walk, and when a person chooses a path of darkness of their own free will sometimes even miracles cannot redeem them.

Fate and destiny collide in a heated passion and the heart of humanity gives way to the insatiable thirst for power at any cost.

Or at least, that's what went through the mind of the dark figure who stood rooted in their spot long after the scene was past.

Uchiha Mikoto clearly remembers when Fugaku was the love of her life. She remembers how he meant to change the clan and save the Sharingan users from the curse of the Sharingan, even if it caused the amazing technique to weaken slightly. She remembers how happy he was when she told him she was expecting Itachi. She remembers the young man who assumed leadership

of her clan, and how she backed every decision he made with everything she had.

But then he spent too much time talking to that strange man in the cloak with blood-red clouds. He was Uchiha Madara, she had learned. A myth among her clan. The man who fought the Shodai. She watched helplessly as he love was taken from her in exchange for his thirst to have the strongest sons in all of history, the desire to 'avenge' the 'stolen pride of the Uchiha.'

Mikoto watched Fugaku and her fellow clansmen change from men and women- Konoha shinobi and kuniochi to cleverly disguised monsters intent on destroying the peace of an entire nation. She watched as the hero of Konoha, Uzumaki Naruto, was abused and her husband did nothing to curb it, but rather, encouraged it. She remembered the day he ordered her not to 'coddle' her oldest son. She remembers what happened the day Fugaku caught her hugging her baby.

Mikoto had figured out what her husband was planning. She had found the story of Madara and his younger brother Uchiha Izuna. Both had become strong and fully developed their Sharingan, but Madara was going blind and refused to let the light leave his world. Unable to let the light permanently leave his world and be rendered powerless, Madara desperately searched for a way to change his fate.

Madara's little brother, Izuna, could not bear to see his brother suffer and offered up his own eyes to his brother, dying soon after. Even though Madara had not only gained sight, but Izuna's sharingan and Mangekyou, the clan was tired of constant war and soon made peace with their major enemies, the Senju clan, to establish the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Mikoto knew that her husband wanted her babies to be the next generation.

**She would not let that happen. **

She stepped out of the shadows, "Otouto."

"Yes, Mikoto-nee-chan?" Shisui answered drolly.

"Train Sasuke."

"I was planning on it, nee-chan." Shisui said dryly.

"Train him, and use this jutsu." she handed Shisui a sealed scroll.

Looking closer at the scroll, Shisui's eyes widened at the emblem on the seal. "T-This is from Kushina-sensei!"

"Hai." Mikoto answered quietly. "Yondaime-sama and Kushina-chan made this sealing jutsu just a few days before their death, it basically reconfigures the Sharingan, but can only be used before the Sharingan is activated for the first time." Mikoto smiled softly, "Fugaku asked him to make it, and although Fugaku had began to grow cold, he gave it to me, to protect my sons."

Her smile disappeared, "Unfortunately, Fugaku broke the seal on Itachi's Sharingan before I was able to use it. I will not wait for him to take Sasuke away!" She looked Shisui in the eye, "Please, otouto."

Shisui smiled at his sister and closed the distance between them quickly to envelop her in a brotherly hug. Mikoto clutched the back of her brother's shirt, tears dripping down her face.

"Why Shisui?" she sobbed. "He was going to be everything that we needed, I believed in him! I gave up life as a kunoichi for him! I loved the ANBU Black Ops! And then….he let that man…take him away from us! I could even handle another woman….but power at the cost of his family? His entire clan? His _**sons!**_"

"Shhh, nee-chan, shhhhh." Shisui soothed. "None of us saw this coming, don't blame yourself. We couldn't have known. You made the best decision. Hell, father and I supported you! Do you think if we would have known that he would turn out this way that we would have given him our precious person? You were like a mother to me, nee-chan, after kaa-san was killed on that mission. You took care of me, I never would have let….if I had known….." Shisui's voice broke, and he cried like a baby in his sister's embrace.

For what should have been

For what may come.

"No." Shisui closed his eyes and composed himself, "it won't happen I know it."

"How can y-you s-say that?" Mikoto choked out, slowly stopping her tears.

"Because it depends on how the Mangekyou is _awakened_, right?"

"That's what the research says." she sniffled.

"Well, then Fugaku has lost Itachi."

"What?" Mikoto asked backing away from her brother to look him in the eyes. Her face showed confusion, but her eyes begged for hope.

"Itachi's Mangekyou awakened," Shisui stated slowly, looking steadily at his sister, "When he swore to protect 'Suke-kun and Uzumaki Naruto."

* * *

As the sun kissed the ground on the seventh day of their 'abandonment' Itachi was already busy fighting two energetic kids.

Two energetic kids who had mastered the basics of the 'Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."

And the 'Henge no Jutsu.'

And the 'Kawarimi no Jutsu.'

And they were working together. "_This must be payback." _Itachi mused. "_Although, the fact that they have mastered the basics of a jonin level technique and two genin level techniques in less than 72 hours is quite impressive."_

Giving a roundhouse kick Itachi took out the Naruto clone and a right hook took out Gaara's clone.

"Awwww, maaaaaaan, and we almost hit that time too." Naruto pouted. Gaara merely gave a wry smile and shook his head at the blonde. "Nii-san isn't it time for lunch?" the blonde suggested and took off running for the stream when Itachi nodded his head in an affirmative action.

Smiling to himself Itachi began to walk towards the stream as well when Gaara called out to him. "Itachi-nii-san?" the red-headed boy called to him. Seeing Itachi turn around Gaara continued, "Nii-san, if something…..happens…...when they fix my seal, I just wanted you t-to k-know t-that I r-really love you gu-"

Itachi cut Gaara off with a strong hug. "Gaara-kun," he said gently, "Naruto and I will be right beside you the whole time. You will be fine." Seeing the boy look up at him, Itachi all-out smiled. "Now, then, let's get lunch!" Dragging Gaara towards the stream, Itachi missed the grateful tears that slipped out of the younger boy's eyes. Finally, there were people who cared for him.

**Really cared.**

* * *

The Sandaime Hokage looked out from his office window, he had yet to receive a communiqué from Kakashi and he was beginning to wonder what was going on. Just as he was constructing _interesting_ punishment for the teenage jonin, he was interrupted by a frog 'poofing' into existence on his desk. One of student's frogs, to be exact.

"Yo!" said the little summon on his desk, "Pervvy Sage said to give you these." and magically there were two scrolls and no frog. "_Pervvy Sage?" _the old Hokage wondered. He opened the first scroll and began to read:

"Sarutobi-sensei,

I have found Kakashi, Naruto, and Itachi. They have picked up a tag-a-long, the Kazekage's youngest son- Gaara, whom the Shukaku was sealed into. However, they obviously do not have a seal master because they made many mistakes, most of which I can correct to help stabilize the boy, that will happen shortly.

Uchiha Itachi is opening up to human contact, and calls both boys 'otouto'. Kakashi, much to his feigned displeasure, is called 'Kashi-tou-san' by all of them, Uchiha included. Naruto always has a smile, it seems happiness is his mask, but everyday we get more genuine ones from him. Slowly, he is healing. Incidentally, he looks just like _him_, doesn't he?

Also, sensei, I have decided to stop running from my mistakes.

We are going to find Tsunade-hime next. I can't see what nickname Naruto gives _her._ And, if he lives through it. I guess I have been dubbed 'Pervvy Sage'. Who woulda thought, ne?

- Jiraiya

P.S.: You'll like the other scroll."

Sarutobi pondered his student's letter. It sounded like everything was going well. However now was not the time to ponder that, he had another scroll to open! After breaking the outside seal, he bit his thumb and smeared across the paper. When he saw the thing that 'poofed' into existence he glanced around the room to make sure no one was near him.

Entranced he touched the cover…...of the newest edition of Icha Icha Paradise! Giggling he opened the book and began to read.

Jiraiya knew him well.


	9. Trust

Jiraiya and Kakashi arrived as the trio were finishing lunch.

After getting glomped, lectured, glomped, and ranted at Jiraiya and Kakashi finally managed to get a word in edgewise. "Well, if you're done Naruto, " Kakashi said apathetically.

"Gaara-kun, are you ready?" Jiraiya asked gently while the Copy Nin was getting another round of glomping from the chibi with the bright blue eyes and the sun-kissed hair.

"Hai." the red-head replied without hesitation.

"ALRIGHT THEN!" Jiraiya bellowed, effectively silencing the camp. "Let's rest until dinner, eat dinner, and afterwards we will begin the jutsu to repair Gaara's seal."

Silence reigned for a moment as the seriousness of the situation manifested itself.

Naruto looked at his brother for a moment before running over and hug-tackling him, and for a moment Gaara was glad for his sand shield.

The blonde could **glomp**, end of story.

Itachi walked over and stood behind Gaara, resting his hands reassuringly on the shorter boy's shoulders. Kakashi and Jiraiya walked over and stood to either side of the Sand jinchuuriki, and it was then that Gaara understood.

Itachi had his back, Naruto would help him find his way, and Jiraiya and Kakashi would not let anything catch him in a blind spot. He had a family with these four. They cared not because he was the Kazekage's son and they certainly did not fear him. This is love. Gaara touched the kanji on his forehead. "_Love." _he thought. "_Love is the desire to protect someone close to you, with all your being. I think I understand now, even if it's only a little."_

Looking up at his adoptive family, Gaara genuinely smiled, though it did not reach his tormented eyes. "I'm ready." he said quietly, holding tightly to the hands of his 'Kashi-tou-san and the respected Jiraiya-sama.

* * *

As the moon began to rise that evening, Gaara found laying down inside a seal that Jiraiya had constructed. It was more like a thousand seals inside a larger, container seal. Some seals were to help with the pain, others were to suppress Shukaku, and others were for the seal repair itself. Taking a deep breath, he turned his head towards Naruto who sat just outside the perimeter of the outer seal. Naruto smiled brightly at his brother, but one could see that those blue eyes were worried.

Jiraiya had decided that he would not only need Kakashi's help, but Itachi's as well, so the three of them sat inside the perimeter of the seal, in their designated spots. Jiraiya was the one doing the actual repair, while Kakashi was focusing on suppressing the Shukaku and trying to stabilize Gaara's chakra network. Itachi's role was to lend chakra, help Kakashi with the suppression, and use his Sharingan to detect any mistakes Jiraiya might make, since he had two Sharingan eyes to look with.

"Gaara." said Kakashi, causing the boy to look at him, he then used his Sharingan to put Gaara in that grey area between consciousness and unconsciousness.

"Let's begin." Jiraiya commanded.

* * *

The next morning after his father left for a mission Sasuke slipped out of his house and skipped down to his Uncle Yahiko's house, hoping maybe Shisui-nii-san had some 'tomatoes' for him. Sasuke slowed as he neared the house and looked around to make sure no one from the clan council was there before knocking on the front door. "Shisui-niiiiiii-saaaaaaan!" he called.

When no one answered in the first two seconds, Sasuke huffed and sat down with his back against the door, intending to mope.

Naturally, that was before the door opened and he fell backwards against his cousin's feet with a very undignified squawk. "Why, hello there, 'Suke-kun!" Shisui greeted happily. "Have you come for more of my amazing tomatoes?"

Sasuke's face had fallen from surprised into a pout at his nickname, but the mention of tomatoes put a brilliant smile on his face. "Do you have some more, nii-san?" he asked excitedly.

Shisui laughed and helped Sasuke up from the floor, "Yep, I just finished picking them, actually." he said with a wink, shutting the door behind him.

Shisui followed his younger cousin to the kitchen, recalling the events of earlier that morning.

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

Uchiha Mikoto slipped through her brother's bedroom window, just like she did every time she came to visit him in the early morning. However as Shisui awoke he could sense his sister's anxiety. "Nee-chan, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly as she paced his room.

"Fugaku." she spat venomously. "Before he left for his mission, I caught him tampering with Sasuke's Sharingan seal. We know he will develop one, and that bastard is trying to awaken Sasuke's earlier than he did Itachi's Sharingan!" she finished, in near hysterics.

"What…wait, what?" Shisui asked confusedly. Then it dawned on him. According to the research of the Nara clan, the earlier the Sharingan awakened, the more likely the user would suffer from a deteriorating mental state after continued use. A user that awakened the gift in their teens was usually safe, but before the age of twelve it was considered detrimental.

"He's trying to accelerate not only the Sharingan's activation_, but to begin destroying Sasuke's mind so that when he kills Itachi he will be his father's puppet_!" Mikoto said, through clenched teeth and strained tears.

Shisui took a deep breath and shook his head. "Wait, nee-chan!" he said suddenly, startling Mikoto out of her raging.

"'Suke-kun is coming over here today to get Itachi's newest letter. I could perform the jutsu then. Especially since Fugaku is out on a mission until tomorrow night."

"That could work." Mikoto said calming down, "I'll call a meeting of the elders and let them jabber about things, it should buy enough time. I'm counting on you, otouto." she smiled and ruffled her little brother's hair.

"Hey, hey! Don't mess with the hair!" he whined, although the whine was destroyed by the grin on his face.

Quickly going beside her brother's bed, she hugged him and whispered so lowly, Shisui almost missed it, "Arigato, otouto. Kaa-san would be proud of you, as I am." Then she was gone.

**END FLASHBACK**

* * *

Sasuke helped himself to a tomato, knowing that patience was a virtue if he wanted to read his nii-san's letter. They had to be careful, after all. The younger Uchiha looked up as his cousin sat down across from him, with a serious expression.

"'Suke-kun, do you trust me?" Shisui asked his eyes shining with anticipation.

"Hai." replied Sasuke cautiously, wondering where this was going.

"Then would you let me test my new binding jutsu on you. Pllleeeaaaasssseeeee." Shisui cajoled.

Sasuke had seen some of the results of his cousin's brilliant schemes, and he wanted to read his nii-san's letter. However, he could not resist his cousin's pathetic face so, begrudgingly, he replied, "Hai, Shisui-nii-san."

"Yay!" Shisui yelled, twirling around on his stool, before standing up and yanking his younger cousin with him, "Let's go 'Suke-chan!" he said, as they bounded down the stairs to the basement. Sasuke never noticed the two clones that Shisui left behind in the kitchen, and that one was henged to look like him, just in case.

* * *

"Kuso!" Kakashi yelled in frustration. They had been at this all night, and it was nearly 8:00A.M. the next morning. Jiraiya had said it could take nearly twenty-four full hours to finish the whole procedure, but Kakashi was beginning to doubt that he could last that long, his chakra was already dropping to borderline-unsafe levels. Even Itachi had discarded his vest and mesh shirt, leaving his top bare. Naruto had gone to get them all water, but other than that, he had not left Gaara's side. One could tell that the blonde was worried, but for now Kakashi had other matters to attend to.

"Kuso!" Kakashi yelled again, gritting his teeth and applying more chakra into suppressing Shukaku.

* * *

Sasuke laid inside a seal in his cousin's basement, watching his cousin come towards him with a kunai. Sasuke trusted his cousin, so when Shisui knelt and pricked his finger, the younger Uchiha said nothing, but grimaced slightly. Sasuke watched his cousin use a drop of his blood to activate a scroll, and then the older Uchiha flew through a complicated-looking set of hand seals. The next things Sasuke knew, all was dark.

* * *

"Kuso, kuso, kuso!" Kakashi chanted his mantra as he applied more and more pressure to the seals holding Shukaku in place. "Itachi!" he called, "What is going on?"

The Uchiha heir was still supplying chakra but was holding his hand over his right eye as if he was in pain. "Itachi!" called Kakashi desperately as the Shukaku began to buck even harder against the seals.

Jiraiya meanwhile was concentrating on the seal, and he was almost done repairing it. He knew Itachi had noticed the faulted area of the seal, the part that could not be repaired and would need to be destroyed while Jiraiya was fixing the rest of it so it could be rebuilt. However if Jiraiya opened his mouth to tell Itachi this, chances were that Shukaku would escape from the break in concentration or worse. "_Come on, Uchiha"_ the sannin mentally begged, "_figure it out!"_

* * *

**Itachi's Corner of the Seal**

Itachi meanwhile, was in pain. His Sharingan felt different. His right eye felt as if it was on fire, while his left eye felt like it was frozen. Though he was beginning to favor ice over fire as the pain in his right eye continued to build until he was forced to close it. It had started around midnight, he guessed.

Itachi knew that were different levels of the Sharingan, but he had a fully developed one, short of the Mangekyou. And the only way to activate it was to kill the person closest to you, as Uchiha Madara did to his brother, Izuna. Hence, the reason why only clan elders and sneaky prodigy children who knew where the secret scrolls were kept knew of the story.

"_But wait."_ Itachi thought, "_Why would it matter if you killed a close relative? What would be the accomplishment in that? All it brought the elder Uchiha generation was dissent and heartache. Why would a form of the Sharingan be worth the death of a brother? Even if it did save Madara's vision, he lost his brother, rival or not, he was still his otouto. All it would accomplish is pain and feelings of betrayal from those who knew the person who was killed. Which is why the Uchiha Clan has so many members, from constant branching out over quarrels. Most of the Sharingan users come from people of my father and mother's close family, while most of the outer families only have a carrier once in a while. But, still, why would it be worth losing a brother?" _

Itachi heard Kakashi yell, and he began to send more chakra towards the elder jonin. An hour passed, maybe two, but the same thoughts were on his mind. Finally it dawned on him. "_That's it! Killing the one closest to you makes one experience severe emotional, mental, and physical distress, allowing the final form to surface. Just like the Sharingan activation itself comes at a time of deep concentration or deep feelings of some sort, the Mangekyou is based in a deep emotion. But is hate and selfishness the only way to activate it? What if one were to swear to protect someone against your closest relative? Would it work in reverse? Would love and selflessness be just as strong?"_

Itachi clutched his eye harder as blood began to run from it. Struggling to maintain his concentration, and ignoring Kakashi's mantra of "Kuso!" the young heir continued to think. "_Uchiha Izuna died from blood loss when Madara took his eyes though, what if Izuna's Sharingan wasn't as strong because he did not truly hate his brother? Or maybe Izuna simply loved his elder brother enough that he could not bear to destroy his light? Even if it cost him his own life, maybe Izuna was willing to die to let his brother have his light. If that actually happened, though, that would mean that when Madara absorbed Izuna's Sharingan, a portion of Izuna stayed with him."_

"_**That would be correct."**_

""_What or who was that?"_

"_**The remnants of the jutsu that your father used to break your Sharingan's seal with."**_

"_Nani?"_

"_**There really isn't time. Suffice to say that Uchiha Madara gave your father the technique, and I am part of the remnant of Uchiha Izuna's spirit that still resides inside Madara's eyes as a result of the absorption of Izuna's sharingan. No questions, Itachi-san. It's time for you to learn what your eyes are trying to teach you. Are you willing to accept responsibility for protecting all your little brothers?"**_

"_Hai"_

"_**Then let's begin."**_

* * *

Sasuke woke up in his cousin's bed. Looking out the window, he guessed it was around noon. Looking over he saw Shisui staring off into space, worry creasing the older man's brow.

"Shisui-nii-san." Sasuke croaked, "could I have some water?"

"'Suke-kun, you're awake!" Shisui exclaimed, rushing to his cousin's side on the bed and fussing over him. "Do you feel alright? Are you okay? I'm sorry that technique needs more, work, ne?"

"Nii-san, water?" Sasuke croaked, laughter dancing in his eyes over his shinobi of a cousin fussing like a mother hen.

"Water, right." Shisui said, racing down the hall at top speed to get his cousin water, and maybe a tomato or two.

"How do you feel, really, 'Suke-kun?" asked his cousin seriously.

"I feel fine nii-san. As a matter of fact I feel better than I have in a while. The headaches that I've been getting behind my eyes that I told you about? Well, they're gone. Normally I'm not awake for five minutes before I get one, but I really feel alright!" Sasuke grinned at his cousin. "But you suck at making jutsu's nii-san!" he taunted playfully, sticking his tongue out at Shisui.

Shisui laughed, "Yes, I do apparently." Silently, with his face betraying nothing, Shisui noticed that the slightly narrowed look that was normally part of his cousin's facial appearance was no longer there. "_How long has Fugaku been tampering with his seal?" _Shisui wondered as Sasuke ate his tomato and filled him in on kiddie gossip. "_Sasuke's always looked slightly irritable,, since he was like two, but maybe he's just been in pain for that long. If it really started that young, he probably thought that it was something that everyone dealt with, so he never told anyone. Fugaku, you heartless bastard!"_

"Nii-san?" Sasuke asked quietly, pulling Shisui from his thoughts.

"Hmm?" he responded.

"Can I…Can I have _it_?" Sasuke asked hesitantly.

"What-Oh! Sure, sorry 'Suke-kun I was so worried that I just forgot! Let's go the family room, ne?" Shisui said, taking his younger cousin's hand and leading him out of the room.

* * *

"Itachi!" Kakashi grunted in pain, he was running out of chakra and strength. "A little help?"

No answer.

"ITACHI!" Kakashi yelled, wondering if the younger boy was dead from chakra depletion. Just as Kakashi was about to start panicking, Itachi lifted his head.

Still holding his hand to his right eye, Itachi looked from Kakashi to Jiraiya. All the older man needed was the irreparable part of the seal, which he could see clearly with his left eye, destroyed. Takeing a deep breath and focusing on said area, Itachi slowly lowered his hand from his right eye and as he opened it he quietly said, "**Amaterasu"**

Instantly black flames shot out from his eye as he cried out in pain, but he did not move or blink. The black flames reached the desired area and ate away at the corrupted area, while they also solidified the repaired areas of the seal, making it nearly impossible for someone to destroy it.

Seeing his opportunity, Jiraiya began to instantly rebuild the seal as the black flames removed the old portion, the flames then circled back around and fortified that area of the seal as well with their intense, precise heat. When the flames disappeared, the outer seal deactivated, and both Kakashi and Itachi slumped over in exhaustion. Jiraiya looked at the small red-head in the center, and feared the worst. Naruto looked at his brother fearfully, mindful that Kakashi and Itachi were also in a dangerous state of health as well.

But Gaara…..

Was Gaara really…

Gaara couldn't be…..

Gaara couldn't be de-

"Umph, Naaaa….." came disconcertingly from the prone figure in the center of the overly large seal. Jiraiya sagged in relief, and Naruto rushed to Gaara's side.

"GAARA!" he shouted as he slid to a stop on his knees beside his brother. "Are you alright? Do you hurt? I was here the whole time! Do you need anything?" the blonde jabbered on, ignoring the crystal tears falling out of his eyes at the sheer relief he felt at the knowledge that his brother was alive.

"Tou-san, nii-san," Gaara choked out, "help them, Na-ru-to." and with that Gaara fell into a peaceful unconsciousness for the first time in his young life.

Turning from his brother once he was sure he was just asleep and not dead, Naruto formed the seals and created a two clones. Sending the clones to help Pervvy Sage and 'Kashi-tou-san, the real Naruto raced over to his Itachi-nii-san's side, rolling the older boy onto his back, fearing the worst. At seeing the peaceful smile on Itachi's face, Naruto's heart felt like it stopped in his chest.

"Nii-san." he said fearfully. "Itachi-nii-san, wake up! Wake up! WAKE UP!" the now hysterical blonde screamed. "Please, please! Don't die!"

Naruto knelt beside Itachi and closed his eyes, afraid to open them. Afraid that if he did, nii-san really would be dead.

* * *

**INSIDE NARUTO'S SEAL**

Naruto found himself sitting in the same place that he had been in the night he got really sick, only there was no red chakra and the cage was further back. A figure cloaked in darkness appeared before him. "_Stop, panicking, Naruto-chan."_ it commanded gently. Naruto could tell the gender of the voice was female, but at the moment he really didn't care who or what they were and what they were doing inside Kyuubi's seal room.

"NII-SAN IS DYING!" he shouted, "WHY SHOULD I STOP?"

"_Because," _the voice replied calmly_, "if you listen, he won't die."_

Instantly, Naruto stopped his hysterical sobbing and took a deep breath. "Then tell me, what do I need to do to save him?" he asked as calmly as he could manage, determination radiating from his blue eyes.

"_You must hurry, but insert some of you chakra into his heart, then his lungs, and then you must force your chakra into his stomach and restart the chakra paths that he overused. You must continue feeding your chakra into him until you feel it come full circle. Now go."_

Without wasting time or thought as to who this figure was or whether or not they were good, Naruto took the instruction like an obedient child, opened his eyes and did exactly what the figure said.

* * *

"Dear Sasuke,

I hope you are doing well. Is Shisui-nii-san teaching you anything cool?

It's now me, 'Kashi-tou-san, Naruto-kun, Gaara-kun, and the legendary Jiraiya-sama. Can you believe it? One of the legendary sannin!

I'll tell you a secret that I haven't even told Naruto-kun or Gaara-kun yet, otouto, we're going to pick up the legendary healer, Tsunade-sama after we fix Gaara's seal!

I can't wait for you to meet them, Sasuke! I miss you so much, otouto! There are so many things that I want to show you!

I decided that if you can't be with me, then I'll draw you pictures of all the really cool things I see that way when you join us in July, it will kind of be like you were always here, ne?

Now, some of the drawings aren't very good, but I'm working on improving them for you.

Just hold out for me, otouto! After your birthday we'll come get you, and it will be a whole year before you have to see tou-san again! And don't worry about kaa-san, we'll write her letters just like I'm sending letters to you!

Well, I have to go, tell Shisui and Uncle Yahiko hello for me.

Give kaa-san a hug and a kiss for me.

Until your seventh birthday, otouto!

-Itachi.

P.S.: Have Shisui break this seal for you. The names are on them."

"Shisui-nii-san?" Sasuke asked.

"Hmm?" his cousin responded from across the room.

"Would you break this seal for me?"

"Seal?" Shisui asked curiously walking over to his younger cousin and looking at the paper he was holding. Sure enough, there was a seal right beside Itachi's signature. Biting his thumb Shisui smeared a small amount of blood on it.

A moment later three pieces of paper 'poofed' into existence. They were face-down. The back of the first one said, "Sasuke meet Naruto-kun, Gaara-kun, 'Kashi-tou-san, and Jiraiya-sama."

When Sasuke turned the paper over he saw a smiling blonde boy, a red-haired boy with a smirk, a masked ninja, and white-haired guy with a weird headband standing in front of a stream with the sun shining brightly down on all of them. Between the blonde boy and the red-haired boy's feet there was an object.

A message from Itachi-nii!

Sasuke's eyes teared up, as did the older Uchiha whose lap he was now sitting on.

Looking again at the picture they both understood the meaning.

"_I'll draw you pictures of all the really cool things I see that way when you join us in July, it will kind of be like you were always here, ne?"_

Tucked safely between Naruto and Gaara's feet was one red tomato with the Uchiha crest in the middle.

"_**You're always with me, otouto."**_


	10. Memories

It had been three days. Three days since they had fixed Gaara's seal, and so far Jiraiya, Kakashi, Itachi, and Gaara had not awakened yet. Naruto had made beds for all of them using his clones, and he was up at all hours to make sure no one left him.

He was beginning to seriously worry, however, that all three would never wake up, and that he would be alone. All alone. Again.

Naruto shook his head sharply and went to bathe, while sending out two clones, one to gather fish for breakfast and the other to bring water back to camp. After his morning hygienic ritual, he raced back to cook the fish, just in case one or all of them woke up from their slumber. Breakfast crackled and popped near the fire, while Naruto sat back against a tree and watched the peaceful faces of his companions. "_I wonder what they're dreaming about?"_ he thought.

* * *

**Jiraiya's Dreamscape**

_Sparkly background. Life-threatening nosebleed from our white-haired sanin. Do I need to go on? _

* * *

**Kakashi's Dreamscape**

_See Jiraiya._

* * *

**Itachi's Dreamscape**

_A seven-year-old was sneaking through the Uchiha compound just before dawn, hoping to get away from his father. The boy found his favorite place, a field of flowers of all types, quickly scanning the area to make sure there was no one around. Sighing in relief, the boy stretched out on the ground, careful of the pretty flowers. As he stared at the sky, he thought about how his father had changed. His father, who used to be the best friend that the boy had, was becoming increasingly hostile towards everyone. Always talking about power and pushing the child harder and harder to be better and better. _

_Letting out a slow breath to quell the emotions welling up from deep within him, the boy closed his eyes for a moment. He tried to remember what a hug from his mother felt like. As soon as he graduated from the Academy his father had decided that the boy no longer needed affection, as it only hindered his shinobi growth, so the hugs and kisses had stopped. Reaching deep down he found the feelings that he felt whenever his mother would hug him and he tried to wrap them around his body like a protective cocoon. Looking up at the sky he sighed, he knew he needed to get back to the compound. Gracefully rising to his feet he slowly began the walk back to his home from his safe haven. Ironic, he mused._

_As he turned the final corner to reach the compound, he saw a man that looked like he was in his twenties fighting his father. The boy recognized the other man as a criminal that had been sentenced to death for killing his wife and daughter. The man caught his father under the chin and threw him, back taking out a kunai. Fugaku looked at the little boy and smirked. The boy remembers time slowed down, and how his father said that it was up to the boy to save him or the father would die. _

_Father….the boy thought as the man drew the weapon back for a fatal blow._

_Father why…the weapon came closer to his father's heart._

_Father why are…closer still, his father had closed his eyes and said he was disappointed in the boy._

_Father why are you…..the boy's body moved on it's own._

_Swiftly pulling out two kunai from his weapon's pouch, he used one to block, and the other he plunged deep in the man's chest._

_In slow motion the boy watched the older man fall. Watched the emotions play across his face. He stood frozen in his spot, not noticing that tears were wet against his face, and dropping on the innocent ground. His hands unclenched the kunai he held, as he dropped down to his knees clutching his burning eyes. He felt his father clap his hand on his shoulder, and he turned slowly, hesitantly, almost fearfully before looking the man in the eyes. What he saw in his father's eyes scared him more than his first kill. His father's Sharingan was different, and it seemed to make his eyes hurt worse. Congratulations, his father said, you have made your first kill and awakened your Sharingan._

_After his father walked away to inform the council, the boy turned around to look at the body. The eyes were cold and lifeless, and the body itself was in an undignified heap. The boy slowly locked his emotions down tightly, just as he had always been taught. He began to drag the body to the criminal burial grounds. No one helped him, they just walked around him. He dug the grave and placed the man in it properly, whispering a small prayer for the man's soul before covering him up with dirt._

_As he walked into his mother's kitchen he had smudges of dirt and blood all over him, but his eyes reflected no sense of accomplishment or peace. His mother walked over and hugged him as he clutched her apron and cried his heart out. He cried for his lost innocence, his lost childhood, but mostly the loss of the hero worship that he had always held for his father._

_Somewhere in the background he heard his father growl his mother's name, and he felt his mother hold him tighter to her, trying to shield him for the harsh reality he entered. He then heard his father's footsteps fade and his mother's soothing words._

_The boy was no fool, he saw the marks on her body the next afternoon._

_He vowed to never cry again._

_Then he met Uzumaki Naruto and Sabaku no Gaara._

_And he vowed that they would never cry again, because he would protect them, and Sasuke._

* * *

**Gaara's Dreamscape**

_The red-head found himself in his old room in Suna. He loved his room, he was safe in there, from everyone. He was so happy to be home that he did not notice the dog-sized raccoon sitting on the edge of his bed until it whimpered. The boy ran to the animal's side, trying to figure out what was wrong. When the small animal stopped shaking and opened it's eyes, he introduced himself. "Hi! I'm Gaara!" he said proudly. The creature blinked slowly._

"_**You're….my…..container?**__" it forced out painfully._

"_You-You're…..t-the….I mean…" the boy said backing away slowly, backing away and nearly tripping over his favorite chair._

"_**Wait!**__" the small animal said desperately, forcing itself to sit up, "__**please, wait! I need to explain everything to you!**__"_

"_Explain what?" the boy cried out in anger and hurt, "How you let me think that your demented voice was my mother? How you hurt everyone around me, so I was always alone! How you made even my siblings run away in fear of me? WHAT IS THERE TO EXPLAIN?" Drawing in shaky breaths, the boy tried not to cry, now the was confronted with his inner demon._

"_**I'm sorry.**__" the animal said quietly, curling around to face away from the boy, "__**I know it's not much comfort- please Gaara, let me say this- but when they screwed up your seal, they also only let the worst of me filter through. I am a demon. The Ichibi, the first of the tailed beasts. I'm not something that is all flowers and roses, but I'm not only a bloodthirsty insane monster either.**__" the raccoon sighed in slight relief when he felt the boy crawl up on the be beside him. _

"_**When they forcibly sealed me inside you, I was angry, and because they botched the seal terribly, it sealed my sane self away and let only my desire for blood stay on the surface with nothing to balance it. I may be a demon, but even I don't take pleasure in hurting children, and here was this human sealing me inside a babe that had yet to take his first breath. His own son. Gaara, I know you're going to hate me forever for what you've been through, but**__" the small animal sighed as the boy just watched him, emotionlessly, "__**I wanted to tell you exactly what your mother said before she died. I know that Yashamaru**__" here the snaimal bared his teeth in anger, "__**told you part of what she said, but he left out some very important small details.**__"_

_At these words Gaara looked up at the now-sitting raccoon dog with such a jumble of emotions he dared not speak, so he just nodded his head slowly. "**It's true your mother cursed the village, gave you your name in anger, and hoped you would avenge her death. But, just before she passed she held you in her arms, not mindful of the sands that beat against her in protest, and she smiled a beautiful smile. She told you that you were her beautiful baby boy, and that she loved you just as much as she loved your siblings. With her last breath, Gaara, she wished that you and your siblings would take Suna from your father and make it a village that she could be proud of.**"_

_After the raccoon dog finished speaking, there was a deathly silence, before quiet heart-wrenching sobs echoed throughout the room. The red-haired boy kept going over the words of the small animal in front of him. "She loved me," he repeated to himself over and over, "she loved me for moment, even as a monster. She…she….." he launched himself at the raccoon dog and sobbed uncontrollably into the animal's fur crying for the lies, the truth, his siblings, his father, his village, and the family he had found. He didn't know how long he cried, but the whole time the manifestation of Shukaku never moved away, it laid beside him and soothed the boy's troubled mind._

* * *

Dusk turned into night and night turned into the fourth morning since the seal was fixed.

Naruto went through his morning routine quickly, sleepless nights evident on his face. As he returned to the camp he did a quick inventory.

White hair sticking out everywhere? Check.

Silver (Grey, he snickered) hair sticking out everywhere? Double Check.

Black Hair still perfect? Triple Check.

No red haired blob? Che-WHAT?

Dropping his bags, Naruto rushed back to camp only to find a wide-awake Gaara sitting by the fire, eating fish at an….amazing rate. "GAARA!" he yelled, launching himself at the ravenous red-head.

"NA-chomp-RU-chomp-TO-chomp, chomp-!" Gaara yelled back without pausing in his attempts to eat all fifteen fish.

"I thought you were- I mean nii-san, and tou-san, and Pervvy Sage…..GAARA!" the blonde exclaimed once again glomping his friend who stubbornly refused to stop eating.

"Now, otouto, I'm surprised you didn't notice my Bunshin." said an amused voice from behind them, as the perfect black hair sleeping in the bed Naruto had made 'poofed' away.

"NIII-SAAAANNN!" yelled two voices, though one was muffled by fish.

"Hey!" Itachi said, holding his hands up in defense, "after almost five days without a bath, what do you _think_ was my first priority? I am an Uchiha, thanks."

Gaara returned to eating, unconcerned, while Naruto sputtered and ranted at an amused Itachi.

A muffled groan came from one of the two left sleeping. Then a moan. Frantically Itachi made two bunshin to pick both the sleepers up and run full speed ahead into the stream before 'poofing' away.

"WHAT THE?" Jiraiya screamed- like a girl, mind you.

"I WAS ENJOYING THAT!" Kakashi screamed.

The three left at camp sweat-dropped. Then Itachi called out, "Oi! While you two are down there, grab some more fish!"

BREAK

Sasuke and his Shisui-nii-san had agreed to turn over a picture every two days. It was time to turn over the third picture, and it had kaa-san's name on it. Uchiha Mikoto had said that she would meet Sasuke there after she went to the market, so Sasuke thought about his anki's second picture as he followed the familiar path to his Uncle Yahiko's house. Sasuke often wondered why he had to call Yahiko his uncle when he was really his grandfather. The one time he had slipped up and called Yahiko his grandfather his father had gone into a rage, so he made sure to always remember to call him uncle. Continuing to walk, Sasuke though back to the second picture.

* * *

**Flashback**

_The second picture had been for Shisui. The picture was of a sunrise full of purples, reds, pinks, blues, and deep violet. The same stream from before was also in the picture, all the vibrant colors dancing off the surface like laughing children. Shisui remembered that Itachi's favorite colors when he was younger was deep violet and magenta, while his had been anything blue and light purple. It was then that Shisui looked closer to the surface of the water, and sure enough there was another message. _

_The water was indeed reflecting two laughing children. Itachi had painstakingly drawn himself and Shisui standing side-by-side with an arm draped over each other's shoulder, and bright smiles. Shisui racked his brain to remember what Itachi was talking about. Then he hugged the five-year-old in his lap closer as he tried to keep his tears at bay. _

_Sasuke had said nothing, but looked up curiously. Shisui reigned his emotions enough to speak and explained._

"'_Suke-kun, I think Itachi is talking about the day he found out that your parents found out they were expecting you. Itachi ran all the way to the house, he forgot to take off his shoes, and didn't even knock. He was so excited that he was going to have a little brother, he talked about how much he was going to spend time with you and how he was going to be the best anki ever. We walked all around the village that day, and Itachi never stopped smiling"_

**End Flashback**

* * *

Hearing his cousin calling for him to come in, Sasuke removed his shoes and walked towards the kitchen for his usual tomato, and saw that his mother had already arrived. After his tomato, they moved to the basement, and this time he sat on his mother's lap. Unsealing the pictures once again, Shisui slowly turned the final picture over, and silence filled the room.

**(A/N: I should soooooo end this chapter here!)**

The third picture was …..breathtaking. Itachi had drawn the waterfall that had always been in the edges of the other pictures in as the focal point. The falls itself took up more of the center of the page, the water reflecting all the colors in the morning sun. Along the falls were sakura trees in full bloom, exactly like spring in Mikoto's favorite area of the Uchiha Compound. The water, instead of being light blue, was a deep violet, swirled with light pink, blood red laced with bright orange, shimmers of silver, flecks of white, and a beautiful teal around the edges.

Teal is Uchiha Mikoto's favorite color.

Itachi had not forgotten, even though she told him when he was five, the same day she told him he was going to have a little brother.

He was telling her that she was the tie that bound all of them together.

For Sasuke, he had drawn a replica of the tomato that was in his first picture dead center, covered by a thin layer of orange laced with blood red.

Lastly they noticed that the swirls were not random at all, they made a sentence.

**Arigato, Kaa-san. I love you.**

Thankfully, Mikoto had brought tissues. She used them all.

After it all, her oldest baby still loved her.

She had protected her youngest from his father's evil.

She had not failed.

She cried harder.

* * *

Deep within the belly of the Shinigami he was imprisoned in, a sun-kissed man fluttered his eyes to the outer edge of his hell before falling into the cycle of torment once more.

_**It's nearly time.**_


	11. Chibibaka

"**WHAT**?" yelled a chibi blue-eyed blonde with tears in his eyes. "You can't! Gaara!"

"Otouto, I think that…." Itachi started quietly.

"**NO**! He's **our** Gaara! **My** Gaara! My **brother**!" the boy continued. "You just started sleeping!

You're happy now! WHY?" he pleaded with his crimson-haired friend.

"Naruto." said the other boy, "I just need to….."

**"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR EXCUSES!"** screamed the blonde through a heavy veil of tears, before he vaulted off across the nearby stream,

"**NARUTO**!" yelled Gaara frantically, crouching to spring into a run to follow his hurt brother. Before he could move, though a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Looking up with a mixture of surprise and sadness he asked, "I need to go after him, Kashi-tou-san. I need to explain….."

"I'll go get him Gaara." Kakashi said with a patented eye-crease, "he's just upset is all. We'll be back before you know it." Nodding to Jiraiya and Itachi, the silver-haired jonin took after his charge.

"It'll be alright, Gaara-kun." Itachi said walking over to the smaller boy and wrapping him in a brotherly embrace. "'Kashi-tou-san will explain everything to Naruto-kun and he will understand, I promise." he soothed the younger child, running his fingers through unruly crimson-colored hair. "I promise, otouto, he will understand. He is _our _Naruto-kun after all."

"Itachi is right." Jiraiya spoke for the first time that evening, sitting in a nearby tree. "If anyone can understand what you're doing-it's Naruto-baka, he's just upset is all. Kakashi will bring him around though, I'm sure of it."

It turned out that Naruto had ran parallel with the stream for about two miles before stopping, near the bigger waterfall, Kakashi surmised. Although Kakashi was impressed with the amount of ground the chibi blonde had covered in such a short amount of time, he was grumbling about having to use his still-sore muscles this much. "_That's it."_ the Copy-Nin thought exasperatedly, "_he's getting his weights doubled again."_

After a little while longer, he found his prey curled up in a ball, sobbing his little heart out against a large, flat rock near the top of the falls.

Gracefully ascending the incline, Kakashi stood on the edge of the surface, feeling like his heart had been ripped out, again. The pitiful sobs coming from the orange bundle were unbearable, and the way Naruto had his arms crossed across his chest was reminiscent of the way Kakashi would find him if he'd been attacked by villagers. With his knees drawn up close to his chin, he looked so helpless, so broken. Tears cascaded out of forlorn blue eyes heedlessly. Kakashi's heart felt like it had stopped beating and he had to stop himself from breaking down with the boy.

Swiftly crossing the distance between them, Kakashi wrapped Naruto in a fatherly embrace before Naruto could register he was there. At first Naruto tried to wriggle, squirm, and force his way out of Kakashi's embrace, but it was to no avail. Kakashi's grip was firm, but his hold was gentle. Finally giving in and putting his head on his father-figure's chest, Naruto continued his sobbing while Kakashi's cloth-covered nose met a messy crown of blonde hair.

Murmuring words of comfort and pulling his mask down to tenderly kiss the blonde's hair, Kakashi waited for the sobs to die down before saying anything vital. While he waited Kakashi thought back to what started this episode and sighed internally. True, Naruto was overreacting but to be honest Kakashi did not blame him a bit.

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

_It was just after ninjutsu training and their bedtime snacks when Gaara quietly said that he had something important to say. Seeing that he had everyone's attention, he began. "**First off, let me say again how happy I am that I found you guys. I'm sure I would have given fully into Shukaku's bloodthirsty influence if I had not stumbled onto Itachi-nii-san and Naruto-kun that day. I'm thankful still that I was able to meet 'Kashi-tou-san and Jiraiya-sama. You all have become what my family in Suna never was. You care, love, and protect me and I will never be able to thank you all enough for helping me find a path that was not completely encroached in loneliness, however**." here Gaara had paused, shakily taking a breath before continuing. _

"_**However, I have come to the realization that just because they abandoned me does not mean I can abandon them. I feel that I should return to Suna and rejoin my siblings. I hope to salvage them from my father's influence, just as you all did for me.**__" _

_Naruto, who had been uncharacteristically quiet until that point, had exploded._

**END FLASHBACK**

* * *

Hearing the hysterical sobbing die down to whimpers and sniffles did nothing to help abate the ache in the Copy-Nin's chest, but it alerted him that now would be a good time to start explaining.

"Naruto-kun." Kakashi said softly into the boy's blonde hair, not pausing the fingers of his right hand that were idly stroking his charge's soft locks, lulling the boy into a sense of security. Kakashi's left leg was bent at the knee, allowing him to wedge Naruto against his raised leg and his chest, with his left arm holding the boy securely in place. Kakashi's back was against solid rock, overlooking the rather impressive waterfall, allowing him to watch the water leave the edge and fall over the rocks that stuck out in various places before landing harshly against the small pool at the base, diffusing out once again into the tranquil stream that they used everyday.

"Naruto-kun," Kakashi said once again, though just as softly, earning a wounded whimper from the small child, who stayed curled against the silver-haired jonin. "Naruto-kun, Gaara-kun is not abandoning you or us, he just has responsibilities."

"Why?" came the choked reply, "Why am I not good enough? What do they have that I don't? Why doesn't my brother want to stay with me?" cried out the blonde, raising his tormented sapphire eyes to the man's onyx one, begging for an answer, but scared of the reply.

"Naruto." Kakashi said quietly, but firmly- only to be ignored. "Chibi-baka," this earned a half-hearted glare from the blonde boy in his embrace, "this has nothing to do with you being good or not. Let me talk, Naruto. Gaara was born with a onee-chan and an onii-chan, and he wouldn't be much of an otouto if he just stayed with us and left them at his father's mercy, would he?" Seeing some of the hurt in his charge's normally blindingly bright eyes turn to a soft understanding, Kakashi continued.

"Gaara-kun doesn't _want_ to leave us, we are the family that he has never had. We were the ones who fixed his seal, and by doing so he learned that he was not a monster in his mother's eyes. Naruto-kun, we-you- saved Gaara from a fate worse than death. A path with no mercy or laughter. Remember how he rarely laughed when he first joined us? Listen to him now! He's as bad as you, Chibi-baka!" This earned the Copy-Nin an adorable pout, and even though the glare was more intense this time Kakashi was relieved to see that some more of the pain had evaporated from Naruto's eyes.

"It's just that…when you guys were all asleep….I was so worried that you'd leave me forever…..…..and that I'd be alone again…..'Kashi-tou-san, I was so scared!" with that said, the blonde threw himself deeper into Kakashi's comforting embrace and his small body shook with quiet, heart-wrenching sobs. Once again stoking the boy's golden hair, Kakashi sighed. "_I figured that's why he was so upset."_ he thought.

After another round of quiet sobs, Kakashi continued, switching Naruto from his left side to his right side. "Gaara-kun just learned his mother's last words, and her last wish was for all her children to take Suna from their father. How would Gaara-kun fulfill his mother's request if he stayed with us?" Shocking blue eyes snapped up to peer understandingly into Kakashi's onyx one, giving the silver-haired nin his answer.

"I want Gaara-kun to stay, even Gaara-kun himself wants to stay with us, but to fulfill his mother's request he's willing to leave the people who love him to save his siblings. Remember the basis of your nindo?"

Naruto nodded vigorously, "Those who betray their missions are trash. But those who betray their friends are worse than trash."

Kakashi nodded in approval, "And who are Gaara-kun's comrades?"

"His….his siblings! They're on the same team!" Naruto exclaimed as he put it all together.

"He's…he's not leaving me, he's saving them!"

"Exactly."

Naruto looked out at the water in front of him and smiled brightly, "I get it, 'Kashi-tou-san."

"Hmm?"

"Gaara has to go save his siblings before they are too far gone. Just like the water, once it goes over the edge, it can never go back it has to keep going. Even though there are different streams further down for it to branch off into, it can never get back to the place it was before, just like time. If Gaara were to stay with us, his father would have more time with his siblings, and even though it would be possible to save them later, if he stops them before they go over the edge he has a much better chance of fulfilling his goal."

Kakashi was so impressed with the boy's logic that he did not mention that eventually the water could come back as is the natural order of water, but the application to a human's life was very adept. Everyone has a breaking point and it is much easier to save someone before that point. Kakashi chuckled lightly, and if Naruto had been any influence on Gaara, his siblings didn't stand a chance against the crimson-haired boy. "_It seems as if our family will keep growing, even with us being apart."_

After watching the water for a while longer, Kakashi noticed that his 'Chibi-baka' had fallen asleep against his chest. Gently, so as not to wake his precious bundle, he stood and made his way back to camp. As he walked he kept their conversation in his head, willing his tears away. "_Can you see him, Kushina-sensei?"_ he wondered as he looked at the peacefully sleeping boy. "_He acts just like you. We're definitely never low on excitement." _

As he finished that thought with a heavy heart, he could have swore he heard a woman's bubbling laugh from beside him. Smiling to himself Kakashi looked at his promise. "_I promise Obito, Rin, Kushina-sensei, Minato-sensei, Sarutobi-sama. I promise to protect this boy with all the strength and heart I have left."_

Kakashi was so busy trying to suppress the tears in his onyx eye that he did not notice as a tear slipped out of his covered Sharingan eye.

"_**We believe in you Kakashi."**_


	12. Doomed

When Kakashi returned to camp he saw that everyone was still awake despite the fact that it was nearly three in the morning. Seeing the tearstains on Gaara's face, the masked nin spoke,

"He's alright Gaara-kun. He just wore himself out today. He understands why you're returning to Suna and he hopes that you can save your siblings." With yet another patented eye-crease Kakashi turned to lay Naruto in his sleeping bag. Hearing rustling, Kakashi looked up to find that Gaara moved his sleeping bag next to Naruto, but instead of laying beside him vertically, Gaara laid the bag to where he used Naruto's stomach for a pillow.

"I want to make sure I'm the first person who knows he's awake." Gaara explained. "He still is my brother, no matter where I go. I want to make absolutely sure that he doesn't hate me now." Earning nods from the other three, the tired boy crawled into his bag. "G'night 'Kashi-tou-san, Jiraiya-sama, Itachi-nii-san." he said through yawns, before laying his head on his brother's stomach and falling into a peaceful rest. Sleeping was something that was only difficult the first few nights, since Shukaku had helped him learn to sleep as penance for making the boy's early years so devastating.

Looking at the resting boys, the oldest member of the group chuckled lowly to himself, "_These two are the future of our respective villages. I'm glad that their bond is so strong."_

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Konoha Uchiha Fugaku was unhappy. Scratch that, he was pissed. Wait, scratch that, he was **enraged**. Someone had tampered with the seal on Sasuke's sharingan, but neither he nor Madara could figure out whom. The chakra signature on the seal was unlike anything they had ever seen, although it looked like something the Yondaime would have created.

Worse still, they could detect nothing with their sharingan's as to whom preformed the sealing.

They even grilled the child as to whom he had been around, but they could get nothing out of him. It seemed the seal also erased any memory of who performed it. One thing was for certain, when they found out who that someone or _someones_ were in for a world of hurt. Literally.

* * *

**TIMESKIP MID-DECEMBER**

**TEA COUNTRY**

In the weeks that had passed, the boys came to terms with the fact that they were going to be separated for some time. It was mind-boggling really, a year ago neither knew that the others existed, and now they were each other's whole world.

Jiraiya-sama, who had been officially dubbed 'Pervvy Sage' for all eternity, had said that they would find Tsunade before Gaara returned to Suna. So, here they were among the game houses, looking for an old lady. The younger three were extremely _excited_ seeing as how they couldn't just stay at camp and train, they had to wait _outside_ while Pervvy Sage and Kakashi 'searched' the establishments.

In one establishment that the miffed trio were allowed to enter, there was a stage with a microphone, piano, and guitar. Currently there was no one manning aforementioned stage, but the boys had an uneasy feeling about it. Finding a booth as far away from the accursed stage as possible, they sat down and began to grumble among themselves (yes, Itachi too).

"Why are we looking for the old granny anyways?" whined Naruto. "I mean, seriously, the only cool old person I know is the Old Man, what could an old woman do except whine about how loud we are?"

Gaara nodded in agreement, "I bet she's old and wrinkly- like a rotten tomato."

Itachi cleared his throat, "Now you two, I'm not thrilled about this search either, but it's what has been decided, so there's not much we can do about it, ne? Besides, Tsunade-sama is said to be the best healer in all of Fire Country."

"Figures." Naruto said grumpily, "She's probably a spoiled princess who barely knows taijutsu and doesn't want to get her hands dirty. Heck, I could probably take her."

"**WHAT DID YOU SAY, GAKI?" **screeched an enraged voice from the next booth over.

The boys recoiled in utter shock as a looming form framed by blonde hair appeared before them. Amber eyes that were not completely clear glared at them, while her mouth was set in a scowl/snarl. One hand on her hip, the other on their table they looked at each other in confusion.

"Ummm…" Gaara began.

"YOU COULD TAKE ME, HUH?" she bellowed at our sun-kissed hero, who was trying to hide under the table, "You're what? FIVE?"

This got a reaction. "I MAY BE FIVE, BUT YOU'RE WHAT? **SIXTEEN**?"

"I'll have you know, GAKI, that I am old enough to be grandmother."

Itachi, Gaara, and Naruto all sweatdropped at this. How drunk was this lady? They had met a few in recent days, but this lady must have had some bad sake or something.

"Suuure, granny." Naruto replied.

A tick appeared above the blonde lady's right eye. "What did you say, gakI?" she asked sweetly.

"I said, 'suuure, granny'. I bet the money in Gama-chan that I could take you!"

"Money?" the lady replied, eyes sparkling, "What's your game?"

"Whoa, now Tsunade-hime. He's just a ki-" started the newly arrived Jiraiya nervously.

"Cram it, frog-boy." Tsunade replied with a punch to the abused sanin's head, annoyed, "he started this."

"I started it and I'll end it! I don't care if you are the Tsunade we're searching for or not!" Naruto exclaimed, slamming a palm down on the table. "Believe it!"

"You should know," Kakashi drawled lazily, "that if you take on one, you take them all on. Itachi-kun and Gaara-kun are very protective of Naruto-kun, Tsunade-sama."

"Na-Naru-Naruto?" Tsunade said shakily. "As in, Uzumaki Naruto?"

"The one and only, lady, believe it!" Naruto said proudly, gesturing to himself. "and the red-head is Sabaku no Gaara, and the quiet one is Uchiha Itachi, but Gaara and I call him Itachi-nii-san."

Tsunade, however, was still stuck on Naruto. "_I should have known this gaki was that runt's son. They look the same, but he acts just like Kushina! _But, money is on the line here." "So, if I take on one I take on all three, eh?"

Five heads nodded in agreement.

Tsunade smirked, "That would require far too much work, despite the money. So I'll tell you what, gaki, you learn one of your father's jutsu in a week, and I'll let you keep your money. As a matter of fact, I'll throw in my necklace as part of the deal."

"Tsunade-hime!" Jiraiya yelled, "He's only five!"

"Which is exactly why I'll win." she replied smugly.

"Minato-kun was roughly ten years older when he developed those techniques, and you want his son to learn it at five?" the white-haired man whispered harshly to his former teammate.

At this point, Itachi spoke to the group, "Tsunade-sama, I realize that yourself and our home village has not been on friendly terms for some time now," this earned him a glare worthy of an Uchiha, " however, I implore you to not underestimate us. As stated before, you challenge one, you fight all three of us." Here Itachi gave an evil-you-are-so-going-down Uchiha smirk, and Tsunade cringed slightly "So Gaara-kun and I would be more than happy to assist our otouto in learning one of his father's jutsu. Seeing as how Gaara-kun hails from Wind Country, and I myself can detect errors in his chakra channeling with my Sharingan."

Tsunade paled. Jiraiya sweat. Kakashi sighed.

"A bet is a bet." Tsunade said stubbornly. "One week."

"You got it Baa-chan!" Naruto said, steel-like determination glinting in his eyes, "One week and your necklace belongs to me!"

"Tsunade-sama!" yelled a black-haired woman from the entrance to the establishment,

"Tsunade-sama where are you?"

"Oh, crap, there's Shizune." Tsunade muttered before looking back at Jiraiya, "One week." and without a further thought, she walked away, heels clicking on the tiled floor.

"Do you have ANY idea what you've gotten yourself into, Naruto?" Jiraiya growled.

* * *

Four days later during sunset, Naruto was beginning to regret his bravado.

He had barely slept or eaten, and neither had his brothers. This jutsu, Rasengan, was a seriously a pain. The concept was simple, yet the execution was complex. Trying to make the ball 'pop' was a lot harder than he thought it would be! Try as he might, he just couldn't get the damn ball to 'pop'. Though, in retrospect, he must be doing something right since he kept blasting himself and his brothers across the clearing they were training in due to the fact that his concentration would shift from the ball to, like, say-the ground.. Highly unpleasant.

"Must…..keep….trying…." he panted, though Itachi and Gaara had passed out after the last flying lesson. "What….am….I doing…..wrong…..?" Naruto closed his eyes and tried to focus once more.

Itachi and Gaara had finally returned to the 'land of the living' and Itachi asked Naruto how far the boy had progressed.

"I think I got part of it." Naruto grunted out. "I opened my eyes, and BOOM!" he narrated dramatically.

"I think, otouto, that Konoha is doomed." Itachi said solemnly.

"WHA?" Naruto sputtered.

"Think about it, after your minimal training, you're already learning a jutsu made by the Yondaime _himself._ Mastering a high level technique like this takes excellent chakra control, knowledge of how the jutsu works and why, and the determination to persevere through all your failed attempts. Many children your age would not have that capacity otouto." At this point Itachi grinned, "Which is why I think that between you and Sasuke-kun Konoha is completely, utterly, and hopelessly doomed."

"IIIIITTTTTAAAACCCHIIII-NIIIII-SAAAAAN!" whined Naruto in a shout. "That's not even funny!"


	13. Strangers & Friends

"_Well, this is it."_ thought Naruto. Inhaling deeply, he closed his eyes. Holding out his right hand, he focused his energy. "Kuso!" Naruto yelled as he again took flight….and landed harshly.

"Now, Naruto-kun, watch your language." Itachi commented wearily. It was the evening of the sixth day and Naruto was still stuck on the second step- trying to get the water inside the ball to 'pop' properly.

Gaara had taught him a wind technique to help stabilize the ball of chakra, but he had yet to discover how to hold his concentration when he hit something. Itachi could not think of anything that would help, and Gaara's specialty was sand, not swirling chakra balls.

Sighing the young blue-eyed blonde boy pushed his tired, worn body off the ground. He knew that he was at his limit. Itachi and Gaara plopped on their bedrolls and promptly passed out. As much as they loved the blonde, his stamina far exceeded their own. Even Itachi, who was a jonin and ANBU black op, could not keep up with the hyperactive blonde boy.

"Just….one….more….time…." he breathed out painfully. Kakashi and Jiraiya had not returned all week. "Perverts." Naruto mumbled. Closing his eyes once more, he summoned his chakra.

Unbeknownst to the blonde, he was being watched. Two honey-colored eyes watched his every move with frightening clarity. Heart clenching painfully in her chest Tsunade watched the boy struggle under the weight of a jutsu that was far too advanced for him, yet he persevered.

Pushing his body farther, working his young mind harder, and forcing his chakra network to develop at an alarming rate, the young blonde boy was steadily wearing down the walls that held Tsunade's heart. Cursing herself for her curiosity, she turned to leave as yet another flying lesson commenced.

"I…can't….I c-can't s-stop n-ow." she heard the boy force out, "How..H-How can I be-become H-Hokage I-if I c-can't lea-learn one ju-tsu….." Tsunade felt her heart stop beating once she registered the child's words. "_Hokage_…" she breathed.

* * *

"_**Tsunade-nee-chan**__!" yelled a laughing boy of twelve years. "__**I'll never run away! I'm going to become Hokage someday!"**_

* * *

"_**Tsunade-hime," **__said a handsome young man with a green jonin vest, "__**To be Hokage, that is my dream.**_

* * *

"**Say what you want about my robe, Tsunade-baa-chan!" **_a young man with wild blonde hair and bright blue eyes teased, "__**but I AM the Yondaime now."**_

* * *

"Nawaki. Dan. Minato." she bowed her head, tears slipping out of her downcast eyes. "I'm sorry." As she continued to walk away from the determined blonde boy, a long buried memory assaulted her with the force of a katon jutsu.

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

_A young woman with fiery red hair walked down the streets of Konoha doing her best to hide the signs of discomfort. She looked the same as she always had to the majority of those who greeted the outgoing former Whirlpool nin, but a select few knew her secret. Reaching her destination, she spotted the golden haired sannin. _

"Tsunade-baa-chan_!" she greeted cheerfully._

_Tsunade whirled around prepared to punch some sense into someone, before her eyes landed on the bubbly nin, Kushina. Namikaze-Uzumaki Kushina to be exact. _

_"**I wonder what the runt's wife wants, anyways?" **Tsunade thought to herself as she greeted the other woman. Wasting no time, Kushina grabbed the unsuspecting sannin and 'poofed' to her beloved's favorite cloud-watching hill. _

_"_What is going on?" _Tsunade asked, slightly concerned but also annoyed. She had just given Shizune the slip and was going to her sweet sake, dammit!_

"Well, uh, you see_," Kushina began, before she blurted it all out at once, "_!""

_Tsunade took a few minutes to figure out what Kushina was saying. Wait…Godmother? Of the runt's son? Looking at the former Whirlpool nin, Tsunade felt a smile tug at her lips, the poor girl was nervous and very out of her element. _

_"_I accept_." Then as an afterthought she added, " _And Jiraiya had better hope that I never catch him teaching the boy how to 'research'

_Kushina laughed so hard Tsunade was afraid that the woman was going to throw herself into premature labor. _

**END FLASHBACK**

* * *

Tsunade stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes instantly drying. "_How could I have forgotten that she asked me to be his godmother?" _she thought to herself, angrily. "_After the Kyuubi attack I was so angry with the council that I just left. I didn't care if the village burned. I was just so…guilty….that I had been on the battlefield healing the same shinobi who would turn around and demand that little Naruto-kun be executed- or turned into a weapon. I felt so guilty that I had been on the battlefield when Kushina died….maybe I could have saved her and Minato….instead of the shinobi that would later demand the life she gave her own to bring into this world."_

Tears of regret, anger, sadness, guilt, and self-loathing burned their way out of Tsunade's eyes, tracing angry red paths down her young-looking face.

She heard another explosion and a few moments the mumblings of the young blonde. She smiled to herself for the first time in a long time. Tightening her fist by her side she looked to the night sky and silently pledged, "_I promise Kushina, that from here on out I'll help take care of the gaki. I know I'll never be the mother you would have, but I will make sure that he's loved and protected."_

Turning around she walked back to her earlier position, and what she saw almost made her heart stop.

Naruto stood shakily in the middle of the clearing, blood running from various wounds from his latest attempt at flying. His normally unkempt blonde hair was even wilder than usual, his clothes were torn, and he had lost weight. "I will…..I will get this!" he shouted in pain and determination. "I'll prove….I'll prove that I'm more than just the Kyuubi's container!" Clenching his bloody knuckles into a tight fist he screamed "I WILL BE HOKAGE SOMEDAY!" Naruto fell to his knees, utterly exhausted. "I will." he whispered.

Cracking a cautious eye open when he felt warm drops on his face Naruto was shocked to see the blonde-haired woman who started all this holding him, crying. Gathering his strength he felt a smile tug at his mouth, "C-can't….Can't stand my awesomeness, eh, baa-chan?" With those words he began to fade out into that blessed darkness of sleep the sannin's arms, but not before he felt something go around his neck and the whispered words from the woman's lips.

"_I believe in your dream Naruto. You'll prove them all wrong, just like Kushina and Minato."_

* * *

Itachi woke with a start later that night, when his chakra had replenished enough he could actually _sense_ things again. Imagine the boy's surprise when he saw Naruto tucked safely in his sleeping bag, not a foot from the Uchiha. Itachi's eyes widened when he saw a piece of paper tacked onto the top of his own sleeping bag. Disentangling himself from his warm sleeping bag enough to move, Itachi retrieved the note. The note read,

"_Itachi-kun,_

_I'm sure you'll wake first, as both the gaki's are passed out cold. I watched Naruto train tonight and I believe he more than satisfied his part of our bet. _

_I am going back to town to rest and collect my assistant as well as my belongings. Oh, and the two perverts, though they may or may not be recognizable, depending on the situation I find them in. I should be back no later this evening if all goes well._

_I figured the gaki would try to get up and train again, so I placed a medical jutsu on him that will keep him in a slightly sedated state until I return._

_Take care of them until I get back, Uchiha. _

_See you after while,_

_Tsunade "_

* * *

"Man I HATE sand!" Naruto whined loudly as he shook sand out of his shoes yet again. It had been three weeks since Tsunade and Shizune had joined the group, and they were now heading back towards Suna- Gaara's home. The adults had noticed the younger ones had been especially close together the past few days, as if trying to memorize everything about each other.

They were reluctant to even train with anyone but each other. The closer they got to Suna the louder Naruto seemed to get, while Itachi merely reverted back to his emotionless state, and Gaara alternated between being happy and being angry.

After they had set up camp for the evening, Gaara spoke. "We're less than a day away from Suna, I think from here on in, I should go alone." Seeing the protests beginning to form, Gaara held his hands up. "Even though we are allies with the Leaf, Suna does not take kindly to intruders. Think about it, _Naruto"_ here Gaara shot the blonde a pleading glance, "What would they think if they found two sanin, three jonin, a boy, and the Kazekage's youngest son?"

After listening to Gaara's reasons, Naruto had to admit that the green-eyed boy had a point. But that didn't mean that Naruto liked it! "Gaara, do you really have to go?" Naruto asked for the millionth time since they had encountered the desert terrain. Seeing the other boy nod his head,

Naruto sighed.

"_**Hey Gaara."**_ Shukaku called to his host.

"_**Yes, Fluffy?"**_ Gaara answered.

"_**I wish you wouldn't call me that!"**_ Shukaku whined playfully. Truthfully the demon was just happy that his container had began to forgive him, and had become comfortable enough with the demon to give him a nickname.

"_**Anyway, if Kyuubi would help, there is a way for you and Naruto to stay in touch without anyone knowing. Since Kyuubi is the most powerful of us, he could establish a communication link between him and myself that could be used about once a month. It would be like a weird dream, but you would know that it was real, and there would be no chance of either of us escaping and rampaging across the country."**_

The others had grown used to Gaara's conversations with Shukaku, and were waiting patiently for the red-head to return to the land of the living. Once the red-head had relayed the information, silence reigned.

Finally Jiraiya spoke, "Well, Gaara-kun, we don't know if Naruto can even contact Kyuubi…"

"I can." Naruto said quietly, as all eyes turned to him. Seeing the expressions on the faces of the older ones, he hurried to explain. "Kyuubi can't get to me when I talk to him, he's behind the seal kanji. But, I can talk to him and use his chakra." Seeing the expressions go from worried to curious, he continued. "The last-and only- time I talked to Kyuubi he told me not to overuse his chakra for the next few years. Apparently when I would get hurt too badly, he'd send his chakra to heal me."

Seeing the pleading in both Gaara and Naruto's faces, the adults sighed. "Alright, gaki, we'll let you try. But, the first sign that the fox is doing something funny, you get out of there, ok? And I want a full explanation when this is over, alright? No leaving out details." After checking both boys over to make sure they were in perfect health, Tsunade nodded to Jiraiya, who prepared a seal to contain the chakra in case things got out of hand.

Side by side with Gaara, who was leaning against Kakashi, inside the seal the Pervvy Sage had made, Naruto leaned back against Itachi's chest. The Sharingan users were to watch the chakra patterns for anything drastic. Since Shukaku was the lesser threat, Kakashi would look after Gaara, since he only possessed the Sharingan in one eye. Itachi, however, was to watch Naruto since they all feared what Kyuubi would do.

They had decided to have the kids lean against the young men so that they would be able to monitor vital signs and body language as well as the chakra flux. Tsunade and Shizune sat beside the boys, both smiling encouragingly, while trying to mask their own unease. Finally, after what seemed to be forever Jiraiya announced it was time.

Naruto closed his eyes, and was almost instantly pulled into Kyuubi's room.

* * *

**NARUTO'S MINDSCAPE**

_Naruto found himself in the same room as before. The grand cage of the Kyuubi no Kitsune was huge! Approaching the cage, Naruto opened his mouth to call the furball, but was interrupted._

"_**So, you want me to form a link with the Ichibi container so that you won't feel completely disconnected from him, am I right?"**__ Kyuubi asked, chuckling._

"_**That's about it…" **__Naruto said, wondering how in the world the furball fox knew that already._

_As if reading the boy's mind, Kyuubi replied. "**I'm in your body, brat. I hear and see everything that goes on around you." **_

_Cutting off the kid before he could reply, Kyuubi pressed on, "**But first, since you don't visit your dear inner demon very often there are a few things I need to tell you." **Seeing his container snap his mouth shut, Kyuubi continued, "**Like Shukaku, I am a demon, but I'm not completely about blood either. Know this kid, you may manage to impress me yet."**_

_"**And the bond is finished. Now get out, brat."**_

**END MINDSCAPE**

* * *

Naruto opened his eyes slowly, feeling a light headache. Looking up at Itachi, all he saw was the sharingan. On instinct, Naruto curled up into a ball away from the Uchiha. "Naruto!" shouted several voices.

Taking deep breaths, he managed to pull himself together. "It's aright." he said shakily, "Itachi-nii-san's sharingan just startled me, is all. The furball didn't do anything." After they all breathed a collective sigh of relief, Naruto looked at Gaara, who had already awakened. There, just above the other boy's heart, was an orange fox kit.

Naruto gasped, "Gaara!"

When Gaara looked down to what Naruto was pointing at, he grinned. "Figures it would be _orange_."

"WHAT is wrong with _**ORANGE**_?" Naruto asked loudly, much to the amusement of everyone present.

"Nothing if you're a chibi-baka." Kakashi laughed as Naruto's pout deepened.

"Hmph!" Naruto grouched, looking down at his own heart. "Hey! I got a gourd with 'Ai' in the middle!"

Everyone looked, and sure enough, there was a small gourd with the kanji for love in the center. All the adults looked at each other while Itachi, Gaara, and Naruto talked about the marks. Interesting, indeed.

BREAK

The next evening saw one less member to the group. Naruto had been quietly crying most of the evening, and Itachi had been spacing out. At bedtime both boys wordlessly placed their sleeping bags together, as to prevent the other from leaving. For the next three days the same thing happened.

Finally the group was a little under a day from Konoha, passing by on their way to a friend of Tsunade and Jiraiya's at the northern edge of sound country. Tsunade and Jiraiya had parted with them earlier in the day to continue into Konoha and speak with Sarutobi. Shizune had opted to go with them to say hello to old friends, so that left our original trio to set up camp.

Kakashi watched the two boys bicker and tease as they set up shelter and prepared dinner, and he couldn't help but compare this time to the first time they had ever set up camp. "_It's amazing how Itachi had opened up, and Naruto smiles more real smiles than ever."_ Kakashi was so caught up in his musings that he didn't notice the two looking at him mischievously. Going off of Itachi's silents commands, Naruto crept towards the unsuspecting Copy Nin.

Closer….

Closer…..

In a flash Naruto had grabbed Kakashi's Icha Icha Paradise and scampered across the camp. It took Kakashi a second to recognize that had happened, but when he looked up to glare he saw both boys in heaps of giggles, and Kakashi had to repress the urge to smile. "_Brats."_ he whined to himself.

"You…..should….see….your….face…..'Kashi-tou-san!" Naruto said through giggles, launching Itachi into another round of laughter as well.

"Go to sleep you two!" Kakashi barked playfully from behind the pair, after he retrieved his precious book, naturally.

"'Kashi-tou-san, you _have_ to teach me that jutsu someday!" Naruto said excitedly. Kakashi just smiled. "_If you're anything like sensei, you'll be running circles around me in no time, Naruto-kun." _he thought affectionately.

* * *

Two days later, while Kakashi and Itachi were teaching Naruto strategy, they felt three chakra signatures heading their direction from Konoha. Since the two sannin were not repressing their chakra, they weren't worried. But as Jiraiya and Tsunade touched down in front of them with Shizune standing behind, Kakashi saw their worried faces.

"Break camp, we're on the run." Itachi and Naruto immediately began to break camp, and in less than five minutes all traces that they had ever camped there were gone. It was only then that Itachi and Naruto looked closer at Shizune, and what was in her arms. Itachi's eyes widened and Naruto's eyes lit up in curiosity.

Bounding over to the medic nin, Naruto stuck out his hand and poked the bundle before saying, "Hi! I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and I like the color orange, and ramen, and nii-san, and 'Kashi-tou-san…."

A groggy voice broke through Naruto's tirade, "Dobe."

Sputtering Naruto immediately replied, "Don't call me a dobe, you teme!"

Kakashi sighed as he placed a genjutsu on the blonde to knock him out, making travel easier. Itachi went over and relieved Shizune of her burden after she re-cast the medical jutsu to make the boy rest. At that moment, Jiraiya yelled for them to get moving, and to suppress their chakra signatures. As they began jumping from tree to tree at top speed, Itachi looked down at the sleeping boy, who cracked an eye open for a moment.

"Anki, I missed you." the boy mumbled, before falling fully into the blessed darkness.


	14. The Calm Before the Storm

Naruto was becoming vaguely aware of the wind rushing past his cheeks. Groggily he opened his eyes to see the green jounin vest he was currently drooling on. Forcing himself to focus he was aware that they were no longer surrounded by trees or sand, but grass. '_That's right_.' thought the young blonde, '_We're going to stay with an old friend of Pervvy Sage and Tsunade-baa-chan's at the northern edge of Sound Country.' _Yawning widely he looked up at Kakashi, who had noticed that his young charge was slowly waking up.

"Let's break for a little while guys," Jiraiya said, "They seem to be slowing down quite a bit, and we can't keep the boys under wraps any longer without major ramifications." Finding a nice, big rock to shield out the sun they settled in for a well-deserved break. They had been running almost non-stop for three days with Sasuke and Naruto under sedation or genjutsu to allow them to run faster.

Itachi looked down to see that his otouto was slowly waking up as well. The elder Uchiha was more tired than he had ever been in his entire life, but he refused to let go of Sasuke for even a second while they were running. Seeing his little brother pout slightly as he gently laid him down, Itachi smiled. Looking over in the direction of Kakashi, he saw that his other otouto was lecturing the extremely worn-out Copy Nin about how he could never become Hokage if his 'Kashi-tou-san carried him everywhere. Chuckling he swung his head to the other side to see Shizune-nee-chan shaking her head at her mistress, whom was already engaged him an argument with Jiraiya.

"Anki…" said a small sleepy voice from beside him, "Anki, is that really you?"

Immediately returning his attention to Sasuke, Itachi crouched beside his brother, poking him gently in the forehead, "Who else pokes you in the forehead, otouto?"

"ANKI!" Sasuke half-sobbed, half-yelled, "ANKI! It's so good to see you! I missed you! I read all of your letters, and your pictures were so pretty, and-" Sasuke's tirade was cut off by his anki wrapping him in a strong hug. How long had it been since his brother had hugged him? Sasuke couldn't remember for the life of him, but as he wrapped his arms around his older sibling he was certain he wanted to receive lots of hugs from his nii-san in the future.

"So you're Sasuke, ne?" said a bright voice from beside them. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto!"

"Hn." was Sasuke's reply, irritated that his time with his anki had been interrupted.

"Now Sasuke," Itachi said gently, but firmly, "this is Naruto-kun, and you two will learn to get along. _Both of you listen_! I know Sasuke, that you're quiet, and Naruto-kun you're a rolling ball of energy, but if you two will get over your difference I know you both will get along fine."

Wondering if that had curbed any of the impending doom he felt, Itachi watched the reactions of his two little brothers.

"Ha!" Naruto huffed after a small bout of silence, "as if I'd ever get along with a guy whose hair looks like a chicken's ass!"

Before anyone could react, Sasuke retorted, "Well at least I don't look like a frickin' sunbeam! Jeez, all orange and then bright yellow hair? Why don't you just paint a target on your back!"

Itachi sighed, but smiled, "See!" he said cheerfully, "you two are already acting like brothers!"

With that said, the elder Uchiha laid back against the rock and closed his eyes. The two younger ones looked at each other, then quickly looked away, crossing their arms respectively when they made eye contact. After this had happened about five times, they both sighed.

Looking up at each other once again, they broke out in grins.

"So, Sasuke-teme, do you know how to walk on water?" Naruto asked. Seeing Sasuke shake his head from side to side, Naruto brightened, "Wanna learn?" he asked excitedly.

Sasuke looked at the orange-clad blonde boy with a critical eye, "You think you could teach **me** something, dobe?" Seeing Naruto's look of indignation just before the younger boy grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the nearby lake, Sasuke smiled. "_Maybe we will get along, like anki said."_

Kakashi watched the boys go with a smirk on his face before looking up at the two sannin and the young assistant who wore expressions matching his own. Except for the sleeping Uchiha they all had the same thoughts, "_Those two are two peas in a pod. Bright, stubborn, and determined."_ Watching Naruto animatedly explaining the process to an amused Sasuke, they felt a sense of calm fall over them. Suddenly Sasuke said something that made Naruto narrow his eyes and cross his arms. A few seconds later a resounding 'splash' was heard followed by bubbly laughter. Yep, things were never going to be dull again.

* * *

**THE NIGHT GAARA LEFT**

Leaving his makeshift family was by far the hardest thing Gaara had ever done. At least he had a way to talk to Naruto, even if he only could do it once a month. Shaking his head he tried to clear his thoughts. The red-haired boy had more pressing things on his mind, like what he was going to tell his father. "_Father. Temari. Kankuro. Baki-sensei."_ he thought, "_Will you fear me more or less? Did you miss me at all? Or were you overjoyed to not have a monster in your midst?"_

"_**Hey, gaki!**_**" Shukaku called, breaking his container out of his angst filled thoughts.**

"**Yes, Fluffmeistyer?"** Gaara answered, much to the feigned displeasure of his guest.

"_**I thought I was 'Fluffy'!"**_** Shukaku whined.**

"**I'm experimenting, Fluffles, get over it!" **a highly amused Gaara shot back. He heard Shukaku mutter something about 'damn blondes and their damn influences' and 'I'm not fluffy, dammit!' which only furthered the red-haired boy's amusement. "**But, seriously, how are we going to act when we get there? I don't want to seem too powerful, but I don't want everyone to fear me anymore either."** Gaara thought to his demon pensively. He could see Suna's walls in the distance, and he was no closer to his answer than he had been hours ago.

"_**Who cares? We're stable now. You've always been a smart kid. But you're right about one thing, we don't want to seem too powerful."**_** Shukaku curled himself into a ball in the corner of Gaara's mind, thinking. **_**"Kid, watch out!" **_**the raccoon-dog called suddenly.**

Fortunately Gaara's sand protected him from the kunai that had been hurled at him. As soon as his sand had reacted, he felt the tension and fear that filled the ninja's bodies. As the sand began to fall away, Gaara took a deep break before addressing them calmly. "I am Subaku no Gaara, youngest son of the Yondaime Kazekage." Gaara was almost amused at the stupid expressions that crossed the guards faces. After a full minute of looking at them, Gaara began to get annoyed. "Can we go now or are you going to stare at me all night?" he asked somewhat sharply.

The guards slowly registered the fact that they weren't going to die. The sand had reacted before the boy knew that they were there so this obviously was their Gaara, but what was with the attitude? Not that the jounin were complaining, mind you, they rather liked their lives, but this kid killed on a whim- so why weren't they dead? Seeing the annoyance creep into Gaara's face they immediately jumped to either side of him and began to walk him towards the gates of Suna.

The two jounin shared a glance over Gaara's head that went unnoticed by the boy, who was deep into another conversation with Shukaku. "_Just what happened while you were gone, Gaara-sama?"_

* * *

A blue-eyed, sandy-blonde haired girl snapped her eyes open. Sitting up she saw that she was once again in her youngest brother's room. After the first night she had slept here, no matter where she fell asleep in the house she always ended up here. It had been over two months since Gaara left, but she still clung to the hope that he would come back. Looking to her left she saw her other brother, Kankuro sleeping on the other side of the bed, facing away from her. After the first month Kankuro had been drawn to Gaara's room as well. The maids had given up hope of seeing their charges in their respective rooms, and now always came to Gaara's room first in the mornings.

Temari heard footsteps in the hall. She looked at the clock, it was only 4:00 A.M., why were they coming to wake her up? Snapping her eyes shut in pretend sleep just before the door opened, she missed the look of utter shock on her youngest brother's face. "Temari-nee-chan?" Gaara asked softly, afraid to speak too loudly.

Temari's eyes shot open in a happy panic, standing in the doorway was her littlest brother. Then she registered that he had called her 'nee-chan', which was something he had not done since he was three. Without thinking she leapt out of bed and tackled her youngest brother in a smothering hug. As soon as her brain caught up with her, she wondered why the sand wasn't attacking her.

What surprised her more was when her youngest otouto wrapped his arms around her in the first hug he'd ever given his older sister. After a few moments of sibling affection, which was entirely for them to be receiving from the other, Temari pulled away with hot tears streaming down her face.

"Where have you been Gaara? Kankuro and I were so worried!" she said through her tears, her fists clenched at her sides.

"You…were worried….about me?" Gaara questioned dumbly. Shukaku laughed at him inside his head, earning a mental glare.

"Yes we were." said a new voice from the bed. Looking past Temari's form Gaara's eyes widened at the sight of his brother. As Kankuro made his way towards the young jinchuuriki he noticed that his otouto's eyes were calmer, and his stance seemed more relaxed than ever. When he reached the younger boy, Kankuro grabbed both Temari and Gaara in a tight hug.

It felt like hours, the next few moments, all three of them wrapped in a familial embrace, nourishing bonds that had been abandoned at Gaara's birth. Tears were quietly shed, grips tightened, and silent promises were made.

"_**Gaki, you should tell them. It would be sign of trust, and you have no idea what your father is going to do when he finds out you're back." **_Shukaku urged**. **At Gaara's mental nod, the demon faded to the back of his host's consciousness to allow Gaara to think all by himself.

"Temari-nee-chan, Kankuro-nii-san, I have something to tell you…" Gaara started, leading his siblings over so all three could sit on his bed.

As Gaara concluded the factual recount of his tale, Temari and Kankuro looked at each other and thought the exact same thing:

_**"We owe Konoha a great debt. Jiraiya-sama, Tsunade-sama, Hatake-san, Shizune-san, Uchiha-san, and Naruto-kun. Arigato."**_

* * *

The Kazekage woke with a strange feeling. He looked at his…companion….from the former evening. He silently slipped out of bed and teleported to his own bathroom to clean-up and begin the day. He hated this day. January 19th. The day his youngest son was born and his wife died. He had loved his wife although theirs had been an arranged marriage. The blonde-haired ninja had never forgiven the Kazekage from taking her off of active duty. He had actually planned to imbue another boy with the sand demon, but the week before Gaara was due, they'd had an argument.

His wife had adamantly refused to allow him to make a human sacrifice out of an innocent child. No matter what excuse he threw at her, she only screamed louder, saying that a mother and her unborn child should never be sacrificed to make a weapon. A child is a child, no matter what.

He'd stormed off after that. He just wanted an unstoppable weapon, was that so wrong? One that was imbued early enough in life that it followed his every whim. It was then that he had decided to call Chiyo-baa-sama and have her gather the necessary items for the binding. He'd had his wife under guard and induced her labor six days later. Then today, six years later, he had no wife and no weapon. The Kazekage growled.

It had been easy to manipulate her younger brother into believing that his beloved big sister had cursed the village out of pure spite. The Kazekage poisoned the mind of the only person who could have possible loved Gaara. The Kazekage smiled maliciously remembering how broken the boy had been after his beloved uncle, the only person who ever acknowledged him, told him the truth. The Kazekage still remembers the feeling of twisted accomplishment as his youngest son carved the 'ai' kanji in his forehead. His weapon was nearing completion.

The Kazekage heard footsteps approaching and growled at whom dared to disturb his memoirs.

"Kazekage-sama! Kazekage-sama!" yelled a jonin, pounding on the Kazekage's apartment door.

A highly irate aforementioned Kazekage opened the door to glare at the now cowering jonin.

"What."

"Ka-Kazekage-s-sama, it's Gaa-Gaara-s-sama….he's b-been f-f-ound." the jonin stuttered out much too slowly for the Kazekage's liking.

At this news the Kazekage glared harder. "Where is he." he demanded more than asked the poor jonin.

"At the-your-I mean the Kazekage estate." the traumatized man responded. Relief washed over him when the Kazekage disappeared in a gust of wind.

"I need a raise." the jonin said aloud as he slumped against the wall.

The trio had showered, dressed, and eaten breakfast before the Kazekage arrived. When he walked into the room all three stiffened and politely greeted him. The only one who called the man 'father' was Temari and that was only when she wanted something. Taking in the appearance of his children, the Kazekage noticed a distinct change in Gaara. He was calmer, more collected, and his expression was carefully calibrated to be cautiously indifferent.

"Gaara." the Kazekage said in a hard voice. "Where have you been."

"In the desert." Gaara replied calmly. Internally he was freaking out. **"Fluffy-wuffy-kins what in the hell are we going to tell him?"**

"_**Ugh, your nicknames keep getting worse, gaki. But just follow my lead."**_Shukaku replied**.**

Following his demon's lead Gaara replied, "I went into the desert to learn a new attack that uses wind and sand. I simply did not wish to be bothered while I was trying to gain control over the intense attack."

Temari and Kankuro smiled covertly while the Kazekage narrowed his eyes. Eventually he simply turned away and walked back to the door. Once at the door he turned back to the trio. "Gaara you will be starting the academy tomorrow. If you feel the need to leave the village again, inform me. That is all."

The siblings looked at each other and smiled as their father left their home.

Their father would never know what hit him.

* * *

"Oi! Sasuke-teme! Are you ever going to get this?" Naruto asked the raven-haired boy.

Correction, the _sopping wet, pouting_ raven-haired boy. Who had on a trademark Uchiha glare.

So far they had been traveling for another three days, and were now at the house that Tsunade-baa-chan and Pervvy Sage's friend had graciously allowed them to stay in.

Well, the sannin, Shizune-nee-chan, and Kakashi-hentai were staying at the house in town with the 'friend' while Itachi, Sasuke, and Naruto stayed in a medium sized cottage on the beach. Which explained why the younger boys were practicing the water-walking exercise. And the younger Uchiha wasn't doing so well.

They had set up a schedule, and let's say that Kakashi was rejoicing at the turn of events. Itachi even sweat dropped at the chibi-style tears of joy running down the Silver-haired ninja's face.

Anyways, their schedule went like this:

Monday to Friday.

0430: Rise and shine! Hygiene and breakfast.

0500-0530: Warm-ups.

0530-0730: Taijutsu with Tsunade and Itachi.

0730-0800: Break.

0800-1000: Academy work. Complete with textbooks. With Shizune.

1000-1130: Strategy and critical thinking with Kakashi.

1130-1230: Lunch with everyone.

1230-1430: Medical ninjutsu training with Tsunade and Shizune.

1430-1630: Genjutsu training with Itachi and Kakashi.

1630-1730: Supper.

1730-2000: Ninjutsu training with everyone. Chaos.

2000-2130: Playtime and bed.

The sannin tried to get them to sleep later or finished earlier but Sasuke and Naruto didn't want to waste a single minute. What was surprising was the rate at which they learned. The older shinobi also noticed that Naruto and Sasuke naturally complimented each other, where one struggled the other excelled, helping the weaker one to improve. Naturally, boys being boys, the help was not given without pouting, scuffling, and name-calling.

By the time March rolled around, it was difficult to tell that the boys had been strangers once. Sasuke had even started calling Kakashi, 'Kashi-tou-san' or 'Kakashi-hentai' and he was no longer even slightly bothered by the closeness of Naruto and Itachi.

So here it was, Saturday. It was sunset and the younger Uchiha was once again trying to walk on water. Though he had mastered many other things in his training he had yet to master this once technique. Sasuke though to himself dryly, "_I blame Naruto-baka. Water is his element, damnit! I bet he is manipulating it against me or something! It's not my fault that on top of my natural fire affinity I also have lightning and earth. Damn dobe got water. I bet he's laughing his ass off at me somewhere."_

Naruto, actually, was laughing at the Uchiha. Eventually getting bored and tackling the other boy. "Gotcha! Sasuke-teme!"

Said Sasuke-teme nearly toppled, before catching himself and tossing the blonde off of him to glare at the sunshine-haired boy. Not noticing he was doing better now that he wasn't as focused.

"HAHAHAHA!" Naruto clutched his side, in hysterics. "You can only stand on the water when you aren't paying attention, teme! HAHAHHA!"

"Shut-up, dobe!" Sasuke said in angry embarrassment. "At least I can do a normal bunshin! You have to make solid clones!"

"Cram it, teme!" Naruto yelled back. "It's not my fault I have so much chakra that I can't release that small of an amount!"

"Tch, sounds like a chakra control problem to me, dobe." replied the Uchiha smugly.

"Yeah, well, you're one to talk. You spend more time in the ocean than the fish!" Naruto retorted.

Before Sasuke could reply however, Kakashi appeared. "Hey guys!" he greeted cheerfully, "is there a problem? I could always go get Shizune…."

Both boys paled at the mention of Tsunade's apprentice. After the adults had realized that increasing the training load of the boys as punishment was a preferred form of punishment, they had made an important discovery. Both boys hated bookwork. With equal enthusiasm. So as punishment they would cut the day's ninjutsu training and replace it with another round of bookwork.

Needless to say, the threat worked like a charm.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Konoha there was news of a terrible tragedy.

In a single night the entire Uchiha clan was murdered.

The Sandaime sighed.

He prayed that he made the right decision.


	15. Understanding the Tears

**TIMESKIP- BACK TO WHEN THE SANNIN AND SHIZUNE WENT TO KONOHA**

* * *

**Day 1**

The gates of Konoha were only a comfort to one person of the trio. Imagining being able to catch up with her old teammates put a smile on the normally strict young woman's face. Lost in thought as she was she neglected to notice the apprehension in her companion's bodies. As they touched down in the village the two sannin had once called home Tsunade and Jiraiya shared an uneasy glance.

Something was wrong.

Immediately after parting ways with Shizune the two sannin rushed to Hokage tower. Upon entering the Hokage's sealed room (they were allowed access because the Sandaime trusted them) they were greeted with their sensei's troubled expression and the anguish filled eyes of Uchiha Yahiko, Uchiha Mikoto, and Uchiha Shisui.

The two sannin stopped dead in their tracks, the feeling of dread intensifying within their hearts and minds.

Finally Mikoto spoke in a low voice, "It's good to see you once again, Tsunade-sama, Jiraiya-sama. Although I wish it could be under more pleasant circumstances."

After finding her own voice, Tsunade turned to her former teacher, "WHAT is going on here?"

* * *

**FLASHBACK **

_Uchiha Mikoto had tucked her youngest son into his bed for the night and was headed for her own. **"Itachi, how are you doing, dear?"** she mused quietly to herself as she made her way to the room she shared with the man she called her husband. She had almost reached her destination when she heard muffled voices coming from the room of her oldest son. "**What is going on?"** she pondered as she crept closer to the room, masking herself like the skilled ANBU Black Op she had once been. _

"**Did you make sure to get them all**_**?" **__the deep voice she knew to be Uchiha Madara asked._

"**Hai, they'll never know what happened**_**."**__ replied her dastardly husband._

"**Are you absolutely certain? It would not do well for a few to break the seals**." _Madara questioned persistently._

"**Are you sure the effects of your jutsu will manifest at the proper time?" **_Fugaku retorted tersely._

"**Do not forget to whom it is you speak**_**."**__ Madara intoned dangerously._

"**Forgive me, Madara-sama. I am just excited to see the fruits of our labors.**_**"**__ Fugaku replied contritely. If there was one thing he never wished to experience it was the anger of the elder Uchiha._

_Waving his hand dismissively Madara mused aloud, "_**To think that in less than seventy-two hours clan members above the age of fifteen will succumb to a 'mysterious illness'. That's where you jump in and do some 'mercy killing'. Foolish Konoha will be so focused on the illness, and your 'heroic actions' that they will not discover the seals on the children until hatred has already taken root in even the youngest child's soul."**

"**Nothing like physical, mental, and emotional stress to cause an imbalance in a child's life. To think that their poor minds will forever be fragmented by the 'tragic' event. Add to that the seals you procured from Kiri, of which I still stand in awe." **_Mikoto almost dropped her cloak at hearing the sickening sincerity in her husband's voice._

"**Ah, yes."**_ Madara replied in twisted amusement, a dark smirk appearing on his face, "_**the seals. They really are genius. They amplify the intensity of negative emotions while simultaneously eroding the areas of logic and rationality in the brain. Perfect for making an army of obedient, intensely talented shinobi. Danzou will use his ANBU ROOT to keep those Hokage dogs out until the entire compound has been cleared."**

"**I wonder what Itachi will say when he comes back from his little 'vacation' to find out that his precious little brother is now mine, and that only he himself could have saved his otouto. Mikoto will be broken to realize that she is helpless, as she is the only adult beside myself, who will not die. Her tears are my sweetest indulgence." **_Fugaku's shoulders shook in filthy mirth at the thought of breaking his oldest son by using his other offspring as a weapon._

"**Seventy-two hours. ****Then we shall begin the end of this apathetic clan**_**." **__Madara stated with an ominous finality as the clock struck 11:00 P.M.._

_Stopping by Sasuke's room she placed a quick kiss on her youngest son's forehead before sending a bunshin to inform her father and brother to meet her at the Hokage's office the next morning._

**END FLASHBACK **

* * *

Tsunade and Jiraiya stood frozen in shock as they were informed of the situation. Looking at the three Uchihas she cleared her throat, "Are you infected?" she asked hoarsely.

Yahiko nodded. Tsunade motioned for them to lie down on a bench at the edge of the room. Yahiko moved to lie down, but Mikoto glanced at the clock. "I need to leave, Hokage-sama. Fugaku and Sasuke will be back from training soon."

Nodding his head in approval the Hokage gathered some papers and handed them to the matriarch of the Uchiha clan. "These are for the upcoming festival, tell Fugaku that I requested you to be the head of the committee for decorating because you can mediate between Lady Yamanaka and Lady Nara, which everyone agrees is almost impossible. Come back tomorrow and we shall discuss matters." The old Hokage smiled wanly at the young woman before she turned to leave.

On the other side of the room Tsunade and Jiraiya were both studying Yahiko, and they both wore frowns that only deepened as they probed farther into his body. Neither the renowned medic nor the seal master could find a loophole or fault in the disease/jutsu combo. Finally they both pulled back from the young Uchiha. Turning to the Sandaime the medic cleared her throat at the same time as the seal master. Looking fondly at each other, for once no punches being exchanged, they told the Hokage to bring Yamanaka Inoichi, Akimichi Chouza, and Nara Shikaku.

Five hours, numerous tests, and countless mind explorations later the four skilled shinobi and the aging Hokage discovered the terrifying truth:

There was nothing they could do to save the Uchiha clan adults.

The realization hit Shisui first. "Tou-san…." he said in a shaky voice, embracing his dumbstruck father. Throwing his shinobi instincts out the window Shisui clutched his father's jonin vest and cried like a baby.

Tears made their way out of Tsunade's eyes and the men in the room had to keep wiping their eyes on their sleeves. Friends, comrades, buddies- they would be dead in less than forty eight hours.

The only solace they had was that they could remove the seals in the Uchiha children, the only side effect being that the Sharingan would forever be taken from them. But where would they go? With no families to protect them, what would be the point in removing the seals?

Nara Shikaku spoke up then, "There is an area in the center of the Nara clan's lands that only the main family has access to. We could even train them until they reached academy age, because even without the doujutsu the clan is famous for the Uchihas are highly intelligent and naturally disposed to genjutsu and ninjutsu."

Yamanaka Inoichi added, "I could use my techniques to erase the memories of the Uchiha clan without erasing their families, so they would not miss the Sharingan. They would remember that their parents were shinobi and loved them, but not any particulars. We could say that they were rescues from a destroyed hidden village."

Akimichi Chouza nodded, "We, the Akimichi house, could feed the children until they reached proper age. Between the three clans, we should be able to integrate them into the lower branches of the families quietly, so as not to arouse suspicion."

"I could distort their DNA structure slightly to keep them from being discovered using the technique I developed for refugee nins during the last great war." Tsunade added.

Jiraiya, feeling left out, also added, "I could add seals that would dissolve into their blood permanently, altering their appearance just enough that they would not be noticed. The entire process would take about twenty-four hours. It would not due for all this hard work to go waste by having fifty children who look almost identical enter the academy."

Sarutobi looked from the blonde haired man to his spiky haired teammate to the broad-shouldered Akimichi to his old students. "This could work. However we will need to make it appear as if the children were killed to give them a fighting chance against Madara and Fugaku."

Nodding their heads in agreement, they noticed that Shisui and his father were still in the room. Turning to the two Uchihas the Sandaime sighed, "I am truly sorry Yahiko. If there was anything….."

Uchiha Yahiko cut the old Hokage off mid-sentence, "Hokage-sama I understand. This has been brought upon by our own clansmen through their arrogance to refuse see how far Fugaku has fallen. I have tried to warn them but their lust for power and misguided pride has caused them to turn a blind eye. I only wish to spend my remaining hours with my family. As an elder member of the council I can randomly order 'family days', which I will announce to begin at noon tomorrow-when the rest of the Uchihas are due back from missions, correct?- to extend until noon of the day after tomorrow, even though we adults will be gone by that time. It will throw off suspicion."

Yahiko looked at his Kage. The man whom he had served faithfully his entire life, even while the Yondaime ruled he had stayed as Sarutobi's guard. "My last request, old friend, is that you save young Sasuke. Shisui and Mikoto will be able to take care of themselves, but I would like for Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama to take him for the remainder of Itachi-kun's training mission. I know deep down that those boys will decide the fate of the Leaf Village." Seeing Sarutobi nod slowly, his throat thick with unspoken emotion and his eyes full of a thousand words he could never express, Yahiko clapped Shisui on the shoulder leading him out of the room.

As soon as the two were gone, everyone left in the room broke into silent tears.

Why must the children suffer?

* * *

**Day 2 **

The Uchiha district was buzzing in excitement, they had an unprecedented 'family day' that was going to last forty-eight whole hours! All the Uchihas were back from missions, families gathered. They were specifically ordered not to train by Elder Yahiko.

The clan had never felt so peaceful.

* * *

**ELSEWHERE IN KONOHA**

Trusted members of the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi Clans, along with a tired Hokage, and two disheartened sannin gathered in secret to discuss the upcoming battle. After much discussion they decided that the Sandaime would use an extremely forbidden jutsu to make the bodies of the children. The bodies would only last for twenty-four hours, so they would have to be buried quickly.

Exhaling painfully they left the room with plans to save the children.

* * *

**Day 3**

The birds chirped, the sun shone, and the Uchiha district was uncommonly cheery. Cousins played together, Sasuke saw more kids his age than ever, he even enjoyed playing with some. Mikoto chatted with fellow clan members amicably. Shisui stayed by his father's side mostly, but made sure to talk to the few adults that he would miss.

Around 7:00P.M, after dinner for most,. the village council called a meeting with all the Uchiha parents, basically to get them to brag about how great their children were doing compared to children of other clans. The Hokage- actually Jiraiya in disguise- even stopped by to express his delight in the Uchiha clan's future.

Fugaku smiled at his clan members the entire meeting, congratulating them on their brilliant offspring.

Looking at the _positively beaming _Uchiha Fugaku made Jiraiya's blood boil. If the 'Old Man' hadn't currently been performing the forbidden jutsu and assisting in kidnapping the real Uchiha children the Toad Sage would not have been within twenty miles of this blasted meeting hall.

Sadly, the night was still young and there were many things to accomplish.

* * *

At 10:47 P.M. Uchiha Michi tossed and turned in his bed, feeling feverish and disconcerted.

Opening his eyes at the sound of his door being slid open, he was surprised to see his clan leader, Uchiha Fugaku. "Fugaku-sama what ar-" that was all the man said before his life was ended.

Smiling dementedly at the blood dripping of his katana, Fugaku looked around the room for the man's wife, whispering, "And so the revolution begins….."

Looking at the animalistic lust for power and satisfation in Fugaku's eyes Madara smiled indulgently, "Let it begin." Seeing the other man nod, they separated to finish what they had started.

Blood. Too much blood later they returned to the main Uchiha household only to find that it was empty. At Fugaku's questioning look Madara flippantly answered, "He was staying with a cousin, interfered, then ran away."

Sensing the ANBU black ops approaching, little time was wasted in leaving.

Taking one last look at the village they both had once called home, they sneered.

Weaklings.

* * *

What neither man knew was that Sasuke had been taken by the sannin during the meeting with the council, the aforementioned sannin having already preformed all their promised duties to the young Uchiha children.

Fugaku had also not realized that he was not seated beside his faithful wife as he thought, rather it was her old friend and ANBU partner Nara Yoshino. Yoshino had filled in for Mikoto from time to time at social functions that the clan matriarch could not attend for whatever reason. Fugaku never realized the difference, even with his sharingan.

He also never noticed that 'Mikoto' and her brother Shisui walked in the direction of the Nara clan's estate after the meeting and never looked back.

Arrogant bastard.

The next evening at nearly midnight the aged Hokage sat at his desk massaging his temples, having pretended to be shocked at the news of the massacre. He had presided over the funeral to honor all the members of the Uchiha clan, save Shisui and Mikoto, _whose bodies were never found_, yet who _he knew_ were taking care of the children at the Nara estate.

The Sandaime slumped against his desk and wept.

Why must the children suffer for evil men to gain power?

* * *

At the end of March Tsunade and Jiraiya told the story to their family. Sasuke had cried into Itachi's shirt, not fully comprehending the situation. Itachi merely soothed his otouto, telling him that kaa-san was okay, and so was Shisui-nii-san. Itachi told his sobbing otouto that their father was an enemy now, and to protect the village they would have to fight him if they saw him again.

Seeing the blank look in Sasuke's eyes Itachi reminded the boy that they still had a family, and that even though it would take time to recover, they would be fine. At Sasuke's teary-eyed confusion Itachi smiled through his own pain, and went on to explain. "Sasuke-kun, if you only fight for yourself and cut yourself off from everyone, you'll never become stronger. Think about it, I've always been strong right?"

Seeing the exaggerated nod from his otouto, he continued, "It wasn't until I dedicated myself to protecting you, Naruto-kun, and Gaara-kun that I got my new sharingan, which makes me stronger because I want to _protect_ those precious to me, not destroy them."

"Just like the Hokage, 'Suke! The Hokage protects everyone in the village and look how strong they are!" Naruto piped up, though not as cheerfully as usual, in respect for his friend's situation.

"But _you_ want to be Hokage, dobe. And there is no way _you're _stronger than _me!_" Sasuke retorted out of habit.

"Ah, yes, " Kakashi interjected sagely, sitting beside Naruto, who was at Sasuke's side. "But as _strong _as the _Hokage_ has to be, imagine how strong the person _assigned to protect the Hokage _has to be." he finished with a patented eye-crease, ignoring Naruto sputtering about how he didn't need someone to protect him.

Sasuke looked at the man who had been more of a father to him than his own had ever been. It was then that the young Uchiha decided that if Naruto could share 'Kashi-tou-san, then Sasuke could share his brother with the blonde. Worries momentarily forgotten he looked at the blonde with a sparkle in his eyes that he hadn't had before, "Just watch, dobe, you'll **be** Hokage, but **I'll **make sure that I'm always stronger so I can protect _you_!"

"Teme!" Naruto complained, looking at the raven-haired boy with eyes full of emotion.

"And I'll make sure that I'm always stronger than both of you so I break up your fights." Itachi quipped snidely, earning a relieved laugh from all those in the room except his two little brothers who were playfully glaring at him and each other.

_They would survive this._

The sannin looked from the silver-haired nin, to the Uchiha brothers, to the mini-Yondaime. It was in their eyes.

**Strength.**

**Passion.**

**Determination.**


	16. Oceans and Deserts

It was safe to say that both boys loved the ocean.

Once Sasuke had mastered the art of water-walking they grew to love it even more. They had found that due to the salt content in the water standing on the surface required sharper chakra control and faster reflexes. After they had figured this out, both Sasuke and Naruto insisted that they train in taijutsu on the water's surface, helping them hone their chakra control, increasing their reserves, and forcing the young boys to focus on their surroundings and their opponents at the same time, thus increasing their awareness.

It was amazing, really to watch the two younger ones battle, but once you threw in Kakashi and Itachi, things really got interesting. Itachi handled most of Sasuke's one-on-one training while Kakashi handled Naruto's personal training. While their charges were with others, though, Kakashi and Itachi would train together. The elder Uchiha heir knew that he could learn many things from his fellow prodigy and ANBU Black Ops captain. Likewise, Kakashi knew that Itachi was not a naïve child and had a few unknown tricks up his sleeve as well.

What they didn't expect was for Jiraiya to pop in during a stormy March afternoon and announce that he was going to teach them a thing or two.

* * *

_**FLASHBACK**_

_"**Now, Itachi-kun, don't overuse that dual sharingan of yours!"** taunted Kakashi, while dodging the younger man's expert taijutsu._

_"**Hai, 'Kashi-tou-san, but you should not underestimate the power of two versus your one**!" Itachi taunted right back at his mentor, trying to land a satisfying blow on the silver-haired jonin's body._

_Looking to the side, both noted an incoming chakra signature, and quickly separated in case of an ambush. In the middle of the clearing stood a slightly miffed-looking sannin, who glared in the respective directions of the two that were in hiding. **"Alright, alright, come out already!"** he huffed._

_Jumping from their refuge to the sannin's side in an instant, both immediately greeted the elder ninja. Looking at him curiously Itachi spoke, "**Jiraiya-hentai,** -insert a certain sannin grumbling about blonde haired idiots who had no appreciation for true art here**- with all due respect, why are you here?"** _

_**"Am I not allowed to move as I please, brat?" the white-haired man grumbled.** _

_"**Well…..no….yes…..I mean,"**: Itachi cleared his throat, **"shouldn't you be looking after Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun?"** _

_"Ah, the gakis are with Tsunade-hime and Shizune-chan. I am here because of them actually."_

_At the mention of his young charge and said charge's best friend, Kakashi looked up from the Icha Icha Paradise that he had cracked open when Itachi first opened his mouth. "**What about the boys?**" he asked coolly._

_"**Ah, I see that my amazing verbal skills have pulled your attention from my written ones, Kakashi-san." **the sannin remarked dryly._

_"**You do have a way with words, my fellow hentai….." **mumbled the jounin good-naturedly._

_Attempting to stem them from getting off-track, Itachi once again spoke up, "**What about my little brothers?" **he more or less demanded._

_"**Calm down, kid. I'm just here to show you two younglings a thing or two about the **_

_**sharingan, ninjutsu, and fuinjutsu. Mind you, you more than likely won't come close to Naruto-kun once he starts learning seals, but you can at least learn enough that if his seal was altered by an outside source you could repair it. Don't even say it Kakashi. I am an old man, I won't be around for forever, and I want to make sure that my godson's anki and tou-san have the necessary skills to protect him if I take a long dirt nap**." _

_Seeing the shadowed faces of the two young men in front of him, Jiraiya clapped both of them on the shoulders, "**but, naturally, nothing will be happening to me before the end of ****Icha Icha Paradise****, which won't happen until the loudmouth is comfortable in his Hokage robes!"** _

_With the tension successfully dispelled, Jiraiya formed hand seals, "**Let's get started, shall we**?"_

**END FLASHBACK**

* * *

March, April, and May flew past them, leaving Itachi's 11th birthday just around the corner. The two younger boys had thought long and hard about what to get their anki, and thus squabbling ensued.

"It's brilliant, teme! Itachi-nii-san will love it!" Naruto persisted.

"Dobe, he doesn't need another one!" Sasuke said, crossing his arms and pouting.

"He always needs more!" Naruto whined, also crossing his arms and pouting. So not the room consisted of two seated, pouting, chibi boys, who were also trying to glare at one another.

"I still like my idea better!" Sasuke finally mumbled.

"Of course you do, teme, _you_ came up with it!" Naruto replied, exasperated.

Since neither boy had any real money, they had been doing odd-jobs in the village nearby to save up money. After almost three months of saving, they were now talking about what to get their nii-san. Finally, Naruto thought of a way to get Sasuke to agree. "Oi! Teme, you know he might give you his _old_ one if we get him a _new_ one." said the blonde slyly.

Mulling the blonde's words over and over in his head, Sasuke suddenly thought it was a _great_ idea. Looking at his best friend and rival, he grinned. "Let's do it, dobe!"

"Yay!" cheered Naruto, glomping the broody bastard.

It hadn't been difficult to get Tsunade-baa-chan out of the house once they mentioned 'sake'. And just like they had hoped, the blonde woman promptly ditched them when she saw the nearest vendor, telling them to do whatever they needed to do in two hours and to meet her back here. Nodding dutifully, both boys took off to the pre-arranged vendor.

The old man who ran the clothier shop had grown a soft-spot for the two boys over the past few months. He had hired them to do odd jobs before, and found that they were uncommonly dutiful for children. While most children had a short attention span, these boys would entertain themselves with banter until their task was completed with not a blemish in sight. So it was with great enthusiasm that he greeted the two mischievous-looking boys who came skulking into his store. "Ohayo, Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun, here for another job?"

"Yes and no, Old Man!" Naruto replied with a foxy grin. "we want you to make something for us!"

The man raised a brow and leaned forward conspiratorially, "Go on."

"Well we think it should go like this…." Sasuke started with a grin.

* * *

Walking out of the shop a little bit later, both boys were excited beyond all belief. The shop owner had told them that their gift would be ready the day before Itachi's birthday. Trying to quell their excitement, they began their usual bickering about everything, Finding Tsunade-baa-chan and dragging her away from the gambling and sake had been a mild challenge, but they were used to it.

* * *

Once they were home, Naruto dragged Sasuke out to the ocean so they could talk. Once both boys were seated on the water, he started, "How is it feeling?" Normally such a question would provoke the Uchiha to make fun of the blonde or start a tussle. However, since the day that Sasuke found out about his clan both boys would disappear on Sunday to talk about how Sasuke was dealing with his loss, though they used the forest instead of the water because Sasuke hadn't mastered the exercise yet.

The first few times, Uchiha pride tried to get in the way, but the young blonde was unusually perceptive and would not let go so easily. Finally after yelling that he didn't need Naruto's pity one too many times Naruto had yelled back, "I'M NOT OFFERING YOU PITY, TEME! I Just…..I just don't want you to be taken over by darkness! Think of our lessons! All the 'really bad' people had something traumatic happen early in their lives and they let it eat away at them!"

"I'm your friend, aren't I? Don't you care that I don't want to see you suffer? I want you to always be with me, nii-san! You, 'Kashi-tou-san, Itachi-nii-san, Shizune-nee-chan, Jiraiya-hentai, and Tsunade-baa-chan- you're all the family I have! I don't want to lose any of you!"

Naruto had promptly ran away to his safe haven- the ocean. As the tears had dripped down his face, he mumbled to himself, "_Why? Why won't he trust me? Doesn't he think of me as a brother too? Or am I just fooling myself?"_

That's when he felt a kunai press to his neck and a familiar voice say tersely, "Don't **ever** question whether or not you're my brother again, dobe." taking the kunai away, Sasuke continued with a sheepish look on his face, "I'm just not good at this, but I'll try, alright?"

He was promptly glomped.

Just a promptly both boys lost their concentration and fell into the salty water, only to laugh hysterically and race each other back to shore.

Thus, a tradition was born and a soul was saved.

* * *

**Suna (Same Timeframe)**

A blonde, a brunette, and a red-head sat in the youngest brother's room, talking quietly amongst themselves about the man that their father kept inviting over. "His name, I've heard, is Orochimaru, and he used to be a Konoha ninja." the blonde was saying. "He was on the same team as Jiraiya and Tsunade, trained by the Sandaime Hokage." At the last part the red-head's eyes snapped up to meet those of his older sister.

"Are you sure?" he asked, eyes slightly widened.

"Yeah, I read it at the library." she replied, no longer scared of her youngest otouto's emotions. Since he had returned they all acted in front of their father, but when alone they were like three best friends bound by blood.

"I was with her Gaa-kun." Kankuro interjected, "that's what it said. Why?"

"I need to tell Naruto." Gaara said after a full minute of quiet contemplation. "There's definitely something going on here, and I don't think we're going to like it." Two heads nodded in agreement.

After his siblings went to sleep, Gaara closed his eyes and sought out his mental raccoon. "_Oh, where oh where could the cuddly chibi spazball be?"_ he sing-songed in his mind.

Grumbling and whining about his container's 'weirdness' concerning names for him, the aforementioned 'spazball' came out of the corner of Gaara's mind and sat down for a conversation with his host. "What. Do. You. Want.?" he growled.

"Awww…..is the poofball upset?" Gaara cooed.

"Cram it, kid. I heard everything." at this his container lost his humor, "this is bad, kiddo. Really bad. Let me tell you something about that Orochimaru guy, he's not natural. I'm not sure if he's taken over another body or what, but he smells of soul decay and every time he's near I can hear the screams of a woman." Sensing his container's mental nudge to continue, he pressed on, "There's a forbidden jutsu, an immensely forbidden technique, that allows someone to take over another's body for a small window of time. But I don't think that's what he's using, kid."

Taking a deep breath, Shukaku started again, thankful that his container was patient. The kid would make a great kage. "I think he modified it. I think he can take over a body and stay there for an indefinite amount of time. However for all his cunning, I don't think he realizes some key factors. One: Humans are given one body to house their soul, and if you take your soul from that container, you leave part of your essence and humanity behind. Two: This happens every time you change vessels, with a higher cost each time.

"Three: The soul is safe and whole inside the container it was born in, however once you take it away from it's original home it begins to slowly decay. The process accelerates every time the soul is transferred. Four: No matter how strong the body is, the taint of a rotting soul will shorten the lifespan considerably. Eventually rendering any body incapable of holding such a foul presence. Lastly: A soul as tainted as Orochimaru's could easily become that of a lesser demon if he attempts to hide from the underworld messengers when his time fully comes."

Shukaku took a deep breath and prepared for the worst part, "One more thing kid. I think he's looking at us."


	17. Brothers

**Konoha**

Nara Estate

In a secluded area of the Nara estate the progeny of the once formidable Uchiha clan were adjusting to their new lives as 'rescues'. Inoichi had outdone himself in replacing and crafting memories. He had erased the memories of the massacre, and left them with the real memories of their parents, just slightly distorting their appearances to match the child's reaction to Jiraiya's seal.

Tsunade had truly outdone herself with the DNA alterations, as well, so that even the Nara caretakers sometimes forgot that these children were once Uchiha. Mikoto and Shisui had been given temporary seals, so that they would be able to change back when Itachi and Sasuke returned.

The children had retained their original names, but the rescuers decided to give the children the common surname 'Takahashi'. The children never questioned their memories and the adults were thankful.

In the three months following the massacre the children were tested and placed in the ninja academy at the proper level according to their skills. The testers found that even without the sharingan they had retained the necessary stamina needed to maintain it's use, therefore making them excellent strategists and gave them a boost in making split-second decisions. About half of the children excelled in ninjutsu while the other half seemed predisposed to genjutsu.

Meanwhile, Mikoto and Shisui looked out across the area they now called 'home,' wondering if their boys were alright.

They prayed they were happy.

* * *

Itachi had noticed the covert looks that his little brothers had been passing back and forth, but chalked it up to their mischievous antics. He knew that the boys were planning _something_ but he didn't know _what_ they were planning. It was annoying, really.

"_Am I the eldest or what?"_ he mentally thought with a pout.

Naruto and Sasuke managed to convince the elders of the group to let them go into town by themselves for once. Just in time too! Itachi's birthday was tomorrow!

"Oi, dobe, you think that the old man has it finished by now?" Sasuke asked as they made their way to the old tailor's shop.

"Well, _teme_, we're about to find out, aren't we?" Naruto replied with a grin.

"You don't have to be so mean about it." Sasuke pretended to pout. When Naruto stopped to see if the Uchiha was, indeed, pouting Sasuke tapped him on the back of the head and took off running, "Gotcha! Race ya there!" he called back to the blonde.

"Teme, that's not fair!" Naruto whined before taking off at his fastest speed trying to beat the raven.

Both boys skid to a stop in front of the tailor's shop at the same time, but an old lady got in Naruto's way so Sasuke got inside the shop first. "I win." said the paler boy smugly.

"Cram it. Believe it." Naruto muttered.

"Ahhh, boys, you're back!" said a voice behind the counter. "I'm just adding the finishing touches, come on back." the old man answered their unasked question. Both boys raced around the counter and sat beside the loom that the tailor was so fond of.

"Wow, old man, that looks awesome!" Naruto exclaimed when he saw the creation.

"For once, I completely agree with the dobe." Sasuke said, his jaw hanging open.

The old man chuckled, "Now, boys, you didn't think I was going to hold back on something that you so obviously put a lot of thought and care into, did you?" Seeing both boys just sit there in dumb appreciation of his work, the old man laughed. "Well, I'm going to take your silence as acceptance, then?"

Sasuke was the first to snap out of his trance, "But, old man, you put some much into this, we can't possibly pay-"

"I have something else in mind, Sasuke-kun." the old man replied, cutting the boy off mid-sentence. "I don't want a dime for this present- now listen Naruto before you start ranting- I want you both to make me a promise. I want you to promise me that no matter what life throws at you, you two and your anki will face those challenges head-on".

"Never let doubt poison you against one another, always look underneath the underneath, and always remember that brothers may not always share the same blood, but the bonds that hold them together are among the most precious things on this earth." Towards the end of his speech the old man's eyes grew a bit misty and he had to put his head down to keep this hidden.

"I promise, believe it!" Naruto said, though not as loudly as usual, sensing the seriousness of the moment.

"I promise to make sure the dobe understands everything you just said." Sasuke said with a half-grin, and the old man smiled up at them, knowing they both would remember his words for years to come.

"Well, now, we're almost done here!" he said cheerfully, abruptly changing the mood. "What do you think, black or silver."

"Black." Sasuke said.

"Orange!" Naruto challenged.

The old man nodded, "Silver it is, then." chuckling as the boys both started squabbling about which color was better.

Three hours later found both boys racing home to hide their anki's present until the perfect time tomorrow.

That night the tailor started on two more creations. One black and orange, the other dark blue and silver.

Sometimes even the most tortured soul can find solace in a second chance.

* * *

Since the next day was Sunday, both boys knew that they wouldn't have training. However, that did not stop Sasuke from dragging Naruto out of bed at the unholy hour of 5:00 A.M. for an early-morning run.

"Buuuut, teme, it's still cold out here," whined the blonde.

"Shut up, dobe, you sound like a girl, sheesh." said the raven good-naturedly. Honestly, even with Naruto's attitude in the mornings, they were Sasuke's favorite time. A new day, a chance to do everything right, the crisp air, Sasuke felt at peace. Even with the blonde whining in his ear every fifteen seconds.

"So, Sasuke," Naruto began after doing a quick scan of the area, "When are we gonna give 'Tachi-nii-san the you-know-what?"

"I was thinking this evening." Sasuke said, glancing sideways at his brother, "that way we'll have his full attention. But I want it to be a surprise, so don't say anything!" Seeing Naruto nod, they continued their run quietly.

* * *

Itachi was irritated. He had spent the last two months training with Jiraiya and he felt like he wasn't getting anywhere! Yes, the great Uchiha prodigy was struggling. Of course it didn't help that Jiraiya would explain the technique once and then talk to Kakashi-hentai for _hours_ about 'research'.

Itachi grumbled to himself, "_They keep talking about women like this and I'll be gay by the time I hit puberty out of boredom! And why can't I get this hand seal, dammit! I make these signs all the time, why won't this work? Oh, damn there goes my hair, now I'll have to trim my bangs tonight. I hate shortening my bangs! They make me look older! And, oh no! My ears! They're talking about brunettes versus blondes. Stop! Stop! Stop! Grrr. And to top it all off, it's 3:00 P.M. and it's my birthday! Not even Sasuke remembered! I mean, I'm an Uchiha so I'm not going to whine about it, but still…a "Happy Birthday Anki!" would have been kind of nice! And….oh shit! I just blew up that tree. Damn, here come the perverts. What did I ever do to deserve this?_

_"_Oi! Itachi! Are you even trying to concentrate?" Jiraiya asked as he looked over at the tree-that-once-was.

Itachi "hn'ed" and restarted the jutsu, ignoring Kakashi's giggles.

* * *

"Teme look out!" Naruto called, but alas it was too late. Sasuke was covered…...in cake batter.

For the last _five hours_ they had been trying to make Itachi a birthday cake…..and the cake attempts were winning.

So far they had ten attempts:

Attempt #1: Sasuke overcooked it with his Katon jutsu. What? Itsn't that what they're for?

Attempt #2: Naruto got tired of stirring the batter and attempted to use wind chakra. The batter flew out the window.

Attempt #3: See attempt #2.

Attempts #4-6: See attempt #1. Add a Rasengan. Or five.

Attempt #7: Let's not talk about how Naruto decided Itachi needed an orange cake, and so put an entire container of orange juice in the batter.

Attempt #8: Let's not talk about how, in response to Naruto's attempt at an orange cake, Sasuke decided his anki's cake should be red. Thus began the pouring of red kool-aid inside the batter, that made an untimely exit outside the kitchen window.

Attempt #9: Almost made it. Almost. Then they realized that the vanilla extract they had been using was actually sake.

Attempt #10: Where we walked in. Apparently trying to wrap the batter around a potter's wheel is not a good idea.

Just as they were finishing cleaning up after attempt #10, Shizune came in, screamed. Then proceeded to take over.

Itachi had a cake.

Sasuke and Naruto got to lick the icing off the utensils.

All was well.

* * *

Dinner was quite. A smug Shizune was unusual though. Though no one asked her why she was smug. The two boys looked like the cat that ate the canary. Itachi was brooding and ignoring people. Jiraiya and Kakashi were talking in hushed tones. Tsunade was talking to their hostess, rather tipsy.

When Itachi asked to be excused, both Sasuke and Naruto almost started to hyperventilate. He was messing up the plan!

Shizune saved the day by telling Itachi that she had a special dessert and she wanted him to try it. Sighing, but resigning himself to his fate, Itachi acquiesced. Shizune disappeared into the kitchen, taking Sasuke with her (Naruto, she decided, was a hazard to her perfect cake), moments later reappearing with a smug looking otouto in tow.

Had Itachi been paying attention he would have noticed Naruto's grin. But, alas, he was brooding and s he didn't. Therefore when the most amazing looking dual layered double chocolate cake with chocolate frosting was placed in front of him, he nearly squeaked. Nearly.

The words "Happy 11th Birthday Itachi-kun!" were written in fudge atop the perfect creation, bordered by ten red candles and one bright orange candle right in the middle. Itachi barely registered the fact that there was singing going on before it was over.

Naruto's "BLOW OUT THE CANDLES SO WE CAN EAT THE CAKE!" yell was what brought him out of his stupor. Inhaling quickly, Itachi blew out the candles.

Looking up he saw the ginning faces of both his little brothers. Itachi smiled, "_They hadn't forgotten!"_

The cake was cut efficiently by Shizune, and then distributed. Even Sasuke ate a small piece.

Tsunade cleared her throat, "Well, Itachi-kun, how does it feel to be eleven?"

"Only slightly older than when I was ten, Tsunade-baa-chan."

"GAKI!" she yelled affectionately, seeing as how she had four people calling her that, "Well, here's your present." she said, tossing Itachi a small box. "It's from both Shizune and I."

Nodding, Itachi slowly opened the box to reveal a blue and silver necklace. He couldn't tell what exactly it was made out of, but it was beautiful. Odd angles, leaf symbols, and kanji made up the simple yet elegant chain. He was so busy staring at it, he didn't notice Tsunade move behind him. Taking the necklace from his hands she fastened it around the eldest Uchiha's neck before returning to her seat.

"It's made out of a special medical metal and is imbued with a jutsu to reduce the strain on your eyes when you use your sharingan. It both Shizune's and my own medical chakra inside it. It should keep you from losing your vision after extended use of your mangekyou."

Itachi's eyes stung bitterly, before he pushed the feeling aside. "Arigato, Tsunade-baa-chan and Shizune-nee-chan." he said steadily.

Before Itachi could dwell on the beautiful, thoughtful gift a scroll landed in front of him. Looking up he saw a smirking Jiriya, and an amused Kakashi. "Go on, 'Tach-kun, open it!" said the silver-haired ninja. Itachi nodded and slowly unrolled the scroll.

Once he had it all the way open, he laughed. It was the jutsu he had bee working on, but Kakashi and Jiraiya had tailored it to make it especially effective for him. "Arigato, Jiraiya-hentai, 'Kashi-tou-san." he said, his eyes alight with mirth.

"How come I'm the hentai and he's 'tou-san'?" Jiraiya whined shortly before Tsunade's fist ended up in his face, resulting in a new wall crater.

"Because you _**are**_ a hentai." she said calmly sipping her sake.

"Well, thank you everyone. This has been most memorable." Itachi said as he prepared to get up, grateful for the gifts he had received. Before he could fully stand though, he was grabbed by a little brother on either side as they yanked him back down.

"We haven't given you _our_ gift yet, anki!" Sasuke said, excitement bubbling over into his tone.

"Yeah, believe it!" Naruto said, jumping up and down.

All the adults looked on in interest, they hadn't known that they boys had gotten Itachi anything. Now they were curious. Everyone ignored Tsunade's attempt to place bets on the surprise gift.

"Teme, go get it!" Naruto exclaimed impatiently at his partner-in-crime.

"Oh, right!" Sasuke said sheepishly, taking off to retrieve the gift from their hiding place. He returned a few moments later with a dark blue box with a bright orange bow and placed it in front of his anki. "We hope you like it," he said almost shyly. Naruto looked away with a slight pink tinge as well.

Carefully Itachi untied the orange bow- no doubt Naruto's influence, he mused- and opened the pretty blue box. He gasped softly.

Inside the box laid a carefully crafted uniform. It had the standard Konoha jounin markings, but they seemed to blend into the fabric. It was dark blue with silver stitching. The pockets were made to adjust depending on the size of the scroll the user wanted to store. There was metal stitched into the areas covering the heart and lungs, but it was a light as a normal cloth. Picking up the top he held it up for others to see it as well.

The stitching was pattered to increase the comfort of the wearer and provide greater protection from weapons. The lines seemed to almost be liquid as the garment reflected the light. Giving the illusion of movement when there was none, no doubt a boon in battle. The pants were no less spectacular, pockets and pouches that you wouldn't know were there unless you purposefully felt around.

"It's the work of a true craftsman." Jiraiya commented. "You should take care of it Itachi-kun. The seemingly extra stitches are pouches of fabric that allows your uniform to grown with you. Work of this quality is nigh indestructible. Though, since the fall of Whirlpool I haven't seen this level of skill." The other adults nodded in mutual agreement.

"So, do you like it?" Sasuke asked shyly, looking at the floor.

Itachi quickly rose and grabbed both of his little brothers in a huge hug. "It must have taken you two forever to save for this! It's overwhelming! But I love it, thank you little brothers!"

Grinning from ear to ear Naruto leaned over and whispered "_I told you so."_ after Itachi sat back down to look over the uniform once again. It was only after he picked up the pants and found

the gloves that he noticed the note tucked between the folds.

**"_Dear Itachi-kun,_**

**I hope you find this uniform to your liking, I have another in progress just in case something happens to this one. I hope you know how much your little brothers care for you, this was all their idea I only made it come alive.**

**If you need any repairs, just come find me, you can ask your brothers where my shop is.**

**Sincerely,**

**Uzumaki Ryouta of Whirlpool**

**P.S.: Jiraiya, you still owe me a book!"**

After reading the note aloud Itachi looked up to see the shocked faces of the two sannin and the Copy Nin. Naruto's exclamation of, "Well, what do you know? The old man has the same last name as I do!"

Handing the note to a shaking Jiraiya, who looked over it again, Itachi continued to admire his gift.

Definitely the best birthday ever!

He was getting lost in thought when Jiraiya chuckled. "Well, boys, it seems that you have found the lost artisan of Whirlpool. Also known as Naruto's great uncle.."

Naruto looked stupefied for what seemed like forever, before saying slowly "I…have a… great…..uncle?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes before he smacked the blonde across the back of the head, "Well, at least your mother did, dobe."

The occupants of the table laughed.


	18. Not too fast, Otouto

Silence.

Then…..

**BOOM!**

"Oi! Sasuke-teme!" shouted a blue-eyed blonde who was now sporting scorch marks on his clothes. "Watch where you point that stupid spit-ball of fire! _Some people_ are trying to actually train here!"

"Maybe if you weren't such a _dobe_, Naruto-_kun_, you'd know how to _dodge_ my "Grand Fireball Technique"' said a rather smug raven-haired boy, looking at the blonde with amusement shining clearly in his eyes.

Naruto huffed in annoyance, "Stupid Sasuke-teme…" he muttered loud enough for said teme to hear. They were supposed to be working with their elemental chakra, hence the reason they were standing on the water. Well, water was Naruto's element, but after Sasuke's stray fireball almost took out Tsunade's stash of sake, he had been sternly told "no more fire jutsu's unless you're on the water!". Therefore now the poor blonde had to put up with Sasuke's sarcasm while he was trying out a new water technique.

As Sasuke was preparing to form another fireball Naruto used a flexible whip he made out of water and chakra to 'whap' the teme across the back, causing him to choke slightly. Needless to say this incident invited a sparring match between the two. They kicked, blocked, and threw jutsu at each other until they heard Itachi chuckle from the side.

"Having fun, otouto?" asked the eldest Uchiha with a raised eyebrow. Both boys immediately stopped their sparring and went back to working with their elemental chakras. No need to invite more bookwork!

After watching them for a few more minutes, Itachi cleared his throat to get their attention. "I see you have barely practiced with your chakras at all. Very well then."

Both boys cringed, fully preparing for another grueling two hours with Shizune and the books they loathed so much. The longer Itachi waited to tell them their punishment for not doing what they had been instructed, the more nervous they became. Looking nervously at each other, and then their anki they began to fidget. Naruto put his left hand to the back of his neck and scratched it sheepishly, while Sasuke crossed his arms and glared at his bangs.

More waiting.

Five minutes had passed.

Dammit, was that a _**smirk**_** on Itachi's face?**

Ten minutes.

Ten and a half min….

"Oi! Are you going to punish or what 'Tachi-nii-san?" wailed the blonde. It was torture for him to be still that long, seriously.

Itachi's smirk grew about five miles. "Well, otouto, do you enjoy bookwork that much?"

Both boys immediately and emphatically answered a simultaneous "**NO**!"

"Well, then why are you asking for a punishment?" Itachi asked, cocking his head to the side to show pretend confusion.

"Bec-" Naruto began.

"_Because,_" Sasuke cut Naruto off irritably, "we disobeyed. You told us to work with our elemental chakra and instead we got distracted and started sparring."

Itachi's smirk melted into a tender smile at his little brothers, both of whom were looking miserable at the moment. Walking over and putting a hand on each of their shoulders Itachi spoke, "Little brothers, you're only five. _Listen to me!_" cutting off the incoming protests from both boys. "As I said, you're both only five, and while you both enjoy jutsu and are mastering everything quickly, don't be in such a hurry to grow up and be a full shinobi."

"But, anki!" Sasuke protested, "we want to protect Konoha too! And think of mother and Shisui-nii-san! They'll need help protecting all the children left in our clan!"

"Yeah, and I need to get stronger so I can be Hokage! So everyone will respect me and stop seeing me as the Kyuubi!" Naruto added.

Itachi turned both boys without releasing them and began walking back towards their cottage. "Both reasons are honorable and worthy of all the hard work you two have put into your training. But, remember little brothers, you both are still _kids_ and I want you both to be able to look back when you're older and see not only training, but a _childhood_.

Shinobi grow up far too quickly as it is." Itachi paused and opened the door in front of them before looking back at the two slightly pouting boys behind him. "And maybe, I'm just feeling selfish and I want you to be my "little brothers" for just a little while longer." he finished quietly as they entered their home.

Both boys stared at each other in slight shock before hug-tacking their anki to the floor. "Silly

'Tachi-nii-san!" Naruto chirped.

"Yeah, we'll _always_ be your little brothers, no matter _how strong_ we get anki!" Sasuke said with a lopsided grin.

Looking up at the two smiling faces above him, Itachi felt his heart clench painfully and warm pleasantly at the same time. "_Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun, I hope I'll always be worthy of the trust you so freely give me. Kami, please help me keep them as safe as I possibly can with these two hands of mine. May nothing be able to shake our bond."_

* * *

Late that night, amidst dreams of being Hokage and free ramen that was somehow orange, Naruto felt a strange sensation. He subconsciously felt the small mark above his heart pulsate slightly and allowed himself to be pulled away from his dream into a grassy field with a violet sky. There, standing in front of him, was Gaara.

_"GAARA!" yelled Naruto happily, going over to glomp his friend. "I haven't seen or heard from you since you left, I was beginning to think that the furball had lied! How are you? How are your siblings? Is your dad nicer? Is the weather nice?" the blonde rattled off every question in his head in rapid succession._

_Succeeding in peeling the blonde off him enough to sufficiently breathe again, Gaara smiled .at his brother. He'd missed the blonde so much! "Alright, 'Chibi-baka' let me get a word in!" he snapped good-naturedly, and was rewarded with the sight of a pink tongue and a pout._

_"I was just asking!" the chibi blonde huffed, sitting down on his butt in the soft grass._

_"I know." Gaara said with a smile, "but we're using our own chakra to create this link, and if we waste too much time our chakra will run out before I can tell you everything that needs to be told."_

_"Oh." said the blonde sheepishly. "So, what's up?"_

_"Well, first I heard about the Uchiha massacre. Tell me about that. How's 'Tachi-nii-san handling it?" asked the sand user. He watched as Naruto took a deep breath and began._

_"Well, to tell the whole story correctly, we would have to start from the verrrrry beginning….."_

_After Naruto finished relating everything that happed with the Uchiha clan, how Sasuke had joined the group, and everything else he could think of, he looked at Gaara expectantly._

_Clearing his throat, he started, "Well, my siblings and I have figured out our father's plan, and we know how to fulfill our mother's last wish, but we're going to need help. You need to tell Jiraiya-sama that Orochimaru is planning to attack Konoha around the time we should be genin. Tell him that Orochimaru has a jutsu that allows him to take over the body of another person, and that I was once a 'potential container,' but Fluffy-wuffy-kins took care of **that.**"_

_Seeing Naruto's look, Gaara added, "I'll tell you later. Just tell Itachi-nii-san that Orochimaru wants the sharingan, and he is going to try to poison nii-san and Sasuke-kun against each other so that one of them will seek him for power. Apparently Uchiha naturally crave power and he plans to exploit this."_

_The scene began to shake violently and the sky began to darken, "We're out of chakra, Naruto-kun. Just tell Jiraiya-sama and 'Tachi-nii-san!" Giving the blonde one more hug, they both watched the scene dissolve into nother, until they were back in their own respective dreams._

* * *

Naruto woke with start, only to find that he was covered in sweat. "_I must have used more chakra than I thought."_ he mused. He wasn't paying attention as he swung his feet over the side of his bed and quietly placed them on the floor, or he would have seen Itachi staring at him from. the corner of the room.

"Hmm…..something has upset him…." the eldest Uchiha murmured silently as he watched the boy disappear into the bathroom.

Just moments after Naruto had closed the bathroom door, Sasuke had snapped his eyes open, sensing anxiety and fear in his blonde brother's chakra. Padding quietly to his brother's room, fully intent on beating whatever was wrong out of the dobe, he noticed his anki was already there.

"You felt it too, huh otouto?" Itachi said quietly.

"Yes, anki, something is wrong, I just know it!" Sasuke said in an urgent tone, but just as quietly.

By the time Naruto came back from the bathroom, not only had Itachi taken up residence on the end of Naruto's bed, but so had Sasuke. Before he or Itachi could formulate a word, Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the blonde, "Alright, dobe, spill it!"

"Huh?" the sleepy blonde answered smartly.

"Otouto," Itachi spoke in a slightly amused tone, "let's wait for the others, shall we?"

"Others?" the blonde said, confused.

"I sent a summon to drag Jiraiya-hentai and 'Kashi-tou-san here. There's something troubling you and I have a feeling they are going to need to hear it too." Itachi responded for both boys.

Slowly Naruto nodded, looking at his toes, blonde hair covering his eyes. Gaara's message still rang true in his mind, and he couldn't look at either of his brothers without his imagination running wild with thoughts of one or both of them betraying him.

"_After all, I'm just the Kyuubi container."_ he thought quietly. "_What do I have that could possibly make them want to stay with me? Everyone else in Konoha pretty much hates me anyways…..and they probably want to get back at Fugaku for killing their clan…but then I'll….I'll….be alone…."_ Unbidden tears ran down whiskered cheeks.

Before he really understood he was crying, before his own thoughts took hold in his mind, he felt two strong arms encircle him in a familiar embrace, pulling him close to a warm chest with a steady heartbeat. He let himself fall apart in the safety of what he instinctively knew was his 'Kashi-tou-san's arms. Fisting his tiny hands in the man's t-shirt, he cried like his heart had been shattered for the last time. Vaguely he registered Kakashi's soothing words and his left hand rubbing soothing circles on his back.

When it had been an hour and he had finished sobbing out his story without ever taking his face off of Kakashi's chest, he cried harder holding onto Sasuke's hand that he didn't even remember grabbing. Beside him, Sasuke was sobbing into Itachi's chest much the same way Naruto was sobbing into Kakshi's own. He couldn't remember when he started crying, nor did he remember his anki picking him up, but still he cried.

Seeing that both boys were crying themselves to exhaustion, Kakashi began:

"_Golden slumber kiss your eyes,  
Smiles await you when you rise.  
Sleep,  
pretty baby,  
Do not cry,  
And I'll sing you a lullaby._

Care you know not,  
Therefore sleep,  
While I o'er you watch do keep.  
Sleep,  
pretty darling,  
Do not cry,  
And I will sing a lullaby."

It took a few times through the song, but soon both boys were sleeping peacefully. Jiraiya had left after the story was finished to go wake Tsunade and tell her about their wayward teammate. Itachi rose gracefully from the bed to take Sasuke back to his own room, while Kakashi attempted to lay Naruto down. Attempted because as soon as Kakashi began to let go of the boys, his eyes snapped open and looked at his father figure with bleary blue eyes.

"Please," the blonde rasped quietly, "Please stay with me tonight tou-san." he finished with a whimper.

_"As if I could say no." _Kakashi thought tenderly. "Alright, chibi, scoot over." said the silver-haired nin to his young charge. Rearranging so that they were both comfortable, Kakashi held his precious charge protectively and with one last though fell into the blessed darkness.

Down the hall, Itachi also spent the night in a bed not his own. It seems that Sasuke was so affected by Naruto's story that he wanted his anki as close as he could get him. Itachi smiled down at his chibi little brother who was curled up so trustingly against him. Running a hand through hair the same color as his own, he placed a gentle kiss on his brother's forehead. Itachi's last thought before falling asleep mirrored that of a certain Copy Ninja.

_**"You'll never get him. He is mine to protect, and protect him I shall. Do your worst, you fucking snake."**_

* * *

In wind country a certain former sannin felt an icy chill run down his spine as he talked about the downfall of Konoha with his ally. "_What was that?" _wondered the man flippantly, "_Ah, well, whatever."_ and he returned his focus back to his companion.

"So this Uzumaki Naruto is the container of the Kyuubi no Yoko….."

* * *

If he had known that a certain blonde man's eyes had snapped open within the belly of the shinigami he sacrificed himself to as Kakashi's thoughts resounded in his ears, Orochimaru would have known that dismissing that feeling was sealing his own tragic fate.

After all, he should have known that Namikaze Minato's love for his only son shattered the laws of time and death.

Words escaped tormented lips, "You should have left him out of your plans, Orochimaru. I almost pity the fate I have planned for you."


	19. Learning to Lean

Nearly a month had passed since the 'incident' and things were seemingly back to normal within the ranks. Seemingly because Kakashi and Itachi still had yet to sleep in their own beds since that night.

By day Sasuke and Naruto laughed, trained, and played just like they always had, but at night they clung to each other tighter, as if they were afraid the other would disappear. Which was why it was strange to see one boy without the other. Which was why Tsunade was confused when Naruto asked her to keep 'Sasuke-teme' busy so he could 'take care of something'. Barely restraining the smile that threatened to break out when she remembered Sasuke's birthday was the next week, she nodded at the blonde chibi who was nervously shifting back and forth in front of her.

"Alright, brat." she conceded, pulling herself out of her chair to go 'entertain' the younger Uchiha heir. Though that didn't stop her from ruffling the blonde's hair as she passed by.

"Baa-chan!" he whined, pouting.

Tsunade just smiled at her boy.

* * *

Kakashi had overheard the conversation, having been watching the boys spar before Naruto suddenly announced his need to relieve himself and rushing indoors, leaving a confused Sasuke mid-jutsu. Watching as the blonde slipped out the back door and took to the rooftops, Kakashi smiled to himself.

"_He's come so far from the scared chibi-baka I found curled up on himself atop the Yondamine's head. Sasuke and Itachi have come a long way as well. Itachi is no longer as withdrawn and can freely interact with his otouto. Sasuke struggles with the downfall of the clan more than Itachi, but he seems to be happier than I remember him being in Konoha. Oh, look, Naruto is entering his uncle's shop. Hmmm…"_

* * *

"Uncle Ryouta?" the blonde called out as he entered the shop, oblivious to the silver-haired nin who slipped in behind him. Upon hearing no response, he called out again, "UNCLE RYOUTA!" he yelled.

"I hear you, Naruto-chan!" he heard the old man call from the back of the shop.

"I'm not a little kid, uncle! You should call me 'Naruto-kun'" the blonde pouted as he perched himself on a stool beside his uncle's worktable.

Smiling at the pouting chibi his uncle chuckled, "Ah, yes, you are a big boy of five years! How dare I forget that, Naruto-_chan!"_

"Hey!" whined the blonde before breaking into a wide (fake) smile.

"Alright, Naruto-_chan_ tell me what's wrong- and don't give me that 'I'm fine' crap, that's the most fake smile I've seen in twenty years!" the old man said sternly, while continuing to work on the tapestry he was weaving.

Sighing to himself, Naruto sat there quietly and sulked. "_Stupid old man, knowing all my tricks. He's as bad as 'Kashi-tou-san!"_

Ryouta cleared his throat sharply to bring his nephew out of his inner tantrum. "I'm waiting Naruto-_chan_"

Huffing and crossing his arms childishly, Naruto opened and closed his mouth several times before words actually came out. "Well, it's just…ARGH! Sasuke-teme's birthday is next week and I wanna give him something that he'll remember me by if we ever get separated! I don't want him to forget me if the evil snake guy ever comes! He's like my brother!" As Naruto neared the end his voice got small and tears dripped from his normally bright blue eyes. "It scares me, Uncle Ryouta, that I might…..I might end up …alo…ne… _again_."

In the shadows, a certain Copy Ninja's heart tightened painfully in his chest. "_Naruto, what have they done to you? Will you ever be free of this fear?"_

Meanwhile Ryouta, who knew damn good and well that Kakashi was there, instructed Naruto to go pick out certain colors of thread from the nearby shelf. Once Naruto returned with the requested items, albeit somewhat confused, Ryouta loaded them fluidly onto the machine and began a new pattern.

After only a few moments Naruto got _bored_ and began chatting away about 'Sasuke-teme' and his 'stupid sixth birthday that will make him older than me' not really focusing on what his uncle was making, until the old man began talking.

"Naruto-_chan_ as long as you doubt Sasuke-kun's bond there is room for bad people to come in and try to tear you two apart. I see how you boys act together, it's almost as if you were born brothers. I know that you have been through a lot in your young life, a lot that would have never happened if your mother had lived, but you have to trust that the family you have found in Tsunade-sama, Jiraiya-sama, Shizune-san, Kakashi-san, and the Uchiha siblings is the family you were meant to have."

"I don't understand why your beautiful mother and your brilliant father were taken from us at such young ages, but I do know that these people are the family that fate has given you, and you should trust that they love you just as much as you love them. I know for a fact that Kakashi-san would move mountains and cross deserts just to see you safe, and all the others would be right beside him."

Naruto looked up at his uncle with tear-filled, hopeful eyes, "You….you really believe that Uncle Ryouta?" he whimpered softly.

Ryouta turned fully to embrace the blonde chibi gently, "Naruto-_chan_ I not only believe that they would move heaven and earth to keep you safe, but I would help them do it."

Naruto didn't notice his uncle wave his 'Kashi-tou-san out of the shadows until he felt himself being lifted towards a familiar chest. "He's right, chibi-baka, you need to trust us." Kakashi spoke in a gentle, soothing tone. Naruto continued to cry softly into his tou-san's chest as they left the shop and headed home.

He never noticed the small package his uncle gave Kakashi before they left.

* * *

Sasuke was concentrating on the healing jutsu that the old hag….erm, he meant 'Tsunade-sama' insisted he practice, trying to ignore the fact that it had been almost an _hour_ since he had seen the 'dobe'. Not that he was worried, no never.

….

One hour later.

Okay, maybe he was a _teensy bit worried _about the blonde dobe.

….

As the clock struck three hours since he had seen the blonde idiot Sasuke had officially had enough. "Look, **old hag**," he bit out harshly, "where is the blonde idiot! It's been **THREE** hours!"

A vein twitched in Tsunade's forehead, but Sasuke was saved by the arrival of his anki saying that Naruto needed him back at the cottage. Almost before Itachi got the sentence out Sasuke was running at top speed towards the house the brothers shared.

Sasuke burst through the door, breathing heavy, following the chakra trail of the blonde. "Naruto!" he called, "NARU-" a hand clamped firmly over the black-haired chili's mouth.

"Shh…..Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun is sleeping." Kakashi whispered. "However, after a shower, why don't you call it a day and sleep with chibi-baka tonight? He's kind of had a long day."

Sasuke turned around to face his father figure, who was surprised to see fury in the young man's onyx eyes. "What. Did. You. Do. To. Him.?" the raven ground out.

Kakashi was surprised, but his hesitance only served to piss the younger man off more. "What. Did. You. Do. To. Him. Kakashi.?" Sasuke asked again, in a lowly and deadly voice…. for a five year old.

"He just thinks that someday we might abandon him." Kakashi said evenly, smiling inwardly at the raven's show of concern for his blonde charge.

"What?" Sasuke said in a short, hurt whisper. "Why would he think that? Doesn't he trust us?"

Pulling Sasuke towards their living room and setting him on the couch, Kakashi began. "Sasuke, there's a lot you don't know about our blonde chibi. Come on in Itachi-kun." Kakashi motioned for the eldest Uchiha to join them for the story.

"It all started almost six years ago when the Yondaime sacrificed himself to save the village…"

Almost four hours later, Kakashi had finished telling the Uchiha brothers Naruto's story, including his secret 'house guest'. Itachi had explained to Sasuke how someone who had been alone most of their life could be very wary of completely trusting anyone, even if they held deep feeling for said person.

"Well, then we just need to convince him that _we're_ **not **going _**anywhere**_**." **Sasuke stated simply, getting to his feet and padding over to the two elder men to give them hugs. Turning to look back at the two from the doorway, Sasuke spoke, "I'm going to take a shower and sleep with Naruto-kun tonight, but I think you guys should still sleep with us too, just in case we have nightmares." And with that the youngest Uchiha was off to shower.

Kakashi and Itachi looked at each other and sighed. Finally Itachi spoke, "I am soooo moving the spare cot in there…."

* * *

That night Naruto and Sasuke slept on Naruto's bed, while Kakashi and Itachi both slept on separate cots near the two chibi's, and a former village leader sat on the windowsill and observed them all. The man's body was translucent, yet the chains that bound his body were very, very real.

His eyes traced every detail on his beloved son's face, before looking at the other occupants of the room. Feeling himself being pulled back to his prison, the man allowed a tender smile to cross his face as he took in the whole scene. As he faded from his son's bedside he spoke,

"Arigato, Kakashi-kun."

Mismatched eyes fluttered open, and his mouth answered without thinking, "I love him as my own, Minato-sensei. Help me protect someone who is so precious to us both." Quiet tears slipped out of his eyes as he tried to hold onto the memory of his beloved sensei's voice.

A voice he dearly yearned to hear once again.

Unbeknownst to Kakashi, his wish to heard sensei's voice would be granted, _**among other things**_**.**

Oh, the surprises fate has in store.

Oh, the heartache destiny delights in bringing.

Yet nothing is stronger nor as enduring as the bonds of _**brothers**_** protected by the hearts of **_**fathers**_**.**

Fate and destiny have a rude awakening coming to those who thought that bonds were to be trifled with.


	20. Unexpected Guests

By the time Sasuke's birthday rolled around, Naruto could barely contain his excitement about the party he had planned for his brother. "Even though he will be older than me." he pouted to 'Tachi-nii-san as they worked out the details of the party with 'Kashi-tou-san.

Itachi and Kakashi just laughed.

It was a warm, sunny and somewhat humid day on the twenty-third of July. Which is why it was odd to see the two figures who guided their way through the strange, yet quiet seaside town. They wore normal traveling clothes with cloaks that covered them completely and lower face masks despite the heat. But they also seemed to project an aura of wariness that was uncommon to feel in the small community. The taller of the duo was constantly looking around at the small shops, as if looking for one in particular. Finally they entered a small, somewhat secluded store near the outskirts of town.

The bell chimed sweetly as they fluidly entered the small shop and made their way to the counter. An old man appeared just a few moments later still practicing his trade, "May I help you?" he asked somewhat distractedly.

"We're looking for someone." the taller answered, in what the old man's mind confirmed was the gentle voice of a woman.

"Ah, and who might that be?" the old man replied to her, finally taking his eyes off his intricate work.

"Uchiha Itachi." the shorter traveler replied curtly.

* * *

Uchiha Itachi was having a good day. He beat Kakashi in a spar, hid Tsunade's sake and blamed it on Jiraiya, managed to weasel his way out of bookwork with Shizune, and annoyed both his little brothers by being all 'mysterious and way-too-cool' as they so eloquently put it.

Yes, Uchiha Itachi was having a very good day.

He was just waiting for dinner.

"_I love my life."_ he thought in unparalleled amusement, and the smirk on his face was just downright creepy if you asked the squirrel on the tree next to him.

* * *

A panting blonde stood up slowly from the water he face-planted in just moments earlier before looking up at the smirking face of his- bastard- sparring partner with a severe scowl. "Just because it's your birthday, Sasu-teme, doesn't mean that I'm going to let you win!"

"Let me win, dobe?" Sasuke smirked even wider, "I'd say I'm winning fair and square."

"Why you bastard!" Naruto squawked indignantly, distorting the water under Sasuke's feet and trying to make the 'bastard' lose his concentration.

"Why don't you just give up, dobe?" Sasuke taunted breathily, trying to focus on taunting Naruto while staying above water, "You know you've lost to me!"

"Like hell!" Naruto yelled right back, though he was losing his battle to not show the grin that was tugging at his lips. "You just wanna discourage me 'cause you know I'll beat you in a fair fight, teme!"

"Oh really?" Sasuke shot back, "and what exactly points to the fact that you could beat me in a 'fair fight'?"

"The fact that as of today, teme, you are OLD and therefore incapable of defeating me, the great Uzumaki Naruto!" Naruto threw back with a giant grin.

Sasuke, for all his newly 6-year-old genius had not seen that coming and as a result lost his concentration. That meant that he took an impromptu dip in the warm ocean water. Naruto, for his part, was rolling around _on the surface_ laughing like a hyena. Onyx eyes playfully glared at the orange-clad blonde boy who was laughing entirely too loud, in Sasuke's humble opinion.

Having successfully pulled himself from the under the water's surface while forming this opinion, a slightly creepy evil grin overtook the youngest Uchiha heir's face.

"Oohhhh Na-ru-to." he said forebodingly to the _still laughing __**idiot**_. "Na-ru-to." Sasuke said again as he crept closer to the damn orange hyena. "Too late." he said simply as he pounced on to the bundle and proceeded to…..tickle the hell out of him.

Two minutes later found Naruto screaming at the birthday boy in between tickle-induced laughs. "STOP IT SASU-TEME! I HAVE TO PEE! SERIOUSLY! NO, I'M NOT GOING IN THE WATER? **WHAT D'YA MEAN IT'LL IMPROVE MY JUMPSUIT, BASTARD**! STOOOOOOOOOOP!"

It wasn't until Itachi came to investigate the racket and tickle Sasuke that the poor blonde could finally run off in search of a bathroom. Notably, now Sasuke was the one being 'tortured' but hey, who cared as long as he got to go pee, right?

* * *

Dinner was a fairly normal affair, except for the fact that both boys kept poking the other in the ribs only to receive a half-laugh, half-whimper, and the fact that Itachi looked entirely too pleased with himself. Finally the _food_ was over with and it was time for the party. Naruto grabbed the orange blindfold that he had helped Ryouta make and tied it over Sasuke's eyes while the cake and presents were put in front of him.

After the very butchered version of "Happy Birthday" had been sung, the blindfold was removed and Sasuke was greeted with six candles, white frosting, and an _**orange**_** cake? **

**"Naruto!" he began, half-amused, half-annoyed.**

"Wait, wait Sasu-teme! Lemme explain!" Naruto said quickly, holding up his hands in defense. "See, we know you don't like really really sweet stuff so we made you a carrot cake, so that even though it's a cake, it's not quite as sweet and maybe you might like it better!" Naruto explained all in a breath.

Sasuke looked at the others in the room, "You mean you all went through that much trouble, for me?" he asked quietly.

"Of course, baka!" Naruto said impatiently, complete with a whack to the back of the head that brought Sasuke's bangs dangerously close to the flames, "We love you, so of course we're gonna pay attention to that stuff!"

Trying to ignore the stinging sensation in his eyes in favor of following his aniki's advice of "blow out the damn candles before the wax gets on the frosting, foolish otouto." Sasuke made quick work of the candles and everyone clapped as Shizune divvied up the cake.

Sasuke found that even though he didn't like sweets, this "carrot cake" was actually pretty good! "Oi, dobe, was this your idea?" he asked curiously. Before Naruto could launch into a spiel Shizune intervened saying it was a collaborative effort and to open his presents.

Picking up the first one, a small velvet box whose tag read "to Sasuke-kun, from Tsunade and Shizune." He carefully opened the dark blue case only to find a necklace, much like the one his brother received on the inside. "Thanks Tsunade-baa-chan, Shizune-nee-chan!" Sasuke cried happily as Tsunade moved behind him to put it around his neck. Instead though, she brought the gem closer to Sasuke so he could see the orange Uzumaki swirl on one side, and the cartoon-y depiction of a weasel on the other before it was placed around his neck.

"We not only wanted to protect your eyes, Sasuke-kun, but also remind you of where the true power of your bloodline derives." Tsunade explained as she hugged him tightly, "Though power may seem easier to obtain by forgetting the ones nearest to you and filling your mind with knowledge of jutsu and the deadly arts, true power, power that lasts long after your desire to live for yourself is broken, is obtained only by protecting those who are most precious to you and never letting yourself get caught up in the web of power-lust."

"Thanks 'Baa-chan!" Sasuke smiled up at her though misty eyes, "I'll always remember that." he continued quietly.

"I hope so, Sasuke-kun, for all our sakes." Tsunade murmured into his soft hair before she returned to her seat.

Itachi ruffled his little brother's hair to lighten the mood only to find a bug that scared him slightly and he screamed like a little girl, making the entire table laugh whole-heartedly.

Jiraiya's present was next, it was actually a book. (No, not one of THOSE, sheesh.) A book entitled "The Comprehensive History of the Art of Swordsmanship." Sasuke was almost as excited about the book as he was his necklace. Also, Tsunade lost the bet she made with Shizune that Jiraiya wouldn't be able to find a non-perverted gift.

When it came time for Kakashi's present, the room was quiet. "Sasuke-kun," the Copy Nin began, "I know you have wanted to study the art of swordsmanship for a while, so while this is your gift it will be a while before I actually give it to you to use." With that said Kakashi laid the most beautifully crafted katana Sasuke had ever seen in front of him.

Before the boy could get over his shock Kakashi continued, "Before touching this, I want you to know that it was made by Tsunade-sama'a friend. Yes, the old lady, Naruto. The woman who has been housing us is actually one of the finest sword smiths of Tsunade-sama's generation. She was trained by the masters of the Artisan Village and has also made weapons for Sarutobi-sama as well as the Yondaime himself." Kakashi ruffled the boy's hair (without finding a bug) and smiled his patented one-eyed smile at the boy.

"Thank you 'Kashi-tou-san! I'll work hard to earn it! I promise!" Sasuke nearly squealed in delight, carefully examining his new sword at every angle before handing it back to Kakashi, who put it in its sleek dark-blue sheath.

"Oi! Sasuke-teme! Time for my present!" Naruto yelled excitedly, glancing over at Itachi.

"How'd you manage to get me a present, dobe? We've been together every second since 'Tachi-nii-san's birthday!" Sasuke asked, amused.

Naruto just huffed impatiently, "Well, if you don't want them I can just send them back!"

"Wait! That's not what I meant! Will you show me Naruto, please?" Sasuke asked, giving Naruto the Uchiha version of "puppy eyes".

Naruto screwed his face up in careful thought, as if pondering the advantages of giving Sasuke his present, when Kakashi grabbed the package and tossed it to the youngest Uchiha. "Hey! That was mean 'Kashi-tou-san!" Naruto pouted.

"I was getting tired of waiting to see Sasuke's reaction, Naruto-kun!" The not-so-innocent Copy Ninja replied lamely.

While Naruto argued with 'Kashi-tou-san, Sasuke tore into the small package. Once inside he found that Naruto had taken Itachi's old uniform and gotten it altered to fit him. Jumping up from his chair to glomp the babbling blonde, he noticed that the cuff had a swirl on it that wasn't there before. "Dobe, what's with all the swirls?" Sasuke asked the still-glomped blonde.

"Well…..umm….uh….you see…." Naruto began nervously, placing a hand behind his neck as a sign of said nervousness, "I figured that if I had Uncle Ryouta put that on you sleeve then no matter where you go I'll always kinda be with you, right?" he finished shyly.

No one noticed Itachi leave the table.

Sasuke looked down at the blonde, who was currently trying to blend into the floor, and smiled. "You baka-dobe!" he said, whacking the blonde over the head with his new shirt, "I told you that I'd never leave you alone and I meant it! AND! Since it's my birthday I want you to promise me that you'll trust me from now on."

Climbing off the dazed chibi and helping him stand, Sasuke continued, "In front of everybody I want you to say "Sasuke-teme I promise that I will not think like a blonde-baka and trust you from now on."

Naruto huffed, "Why do I have to call myself a blonde baka!"

"Hey, I'm letting you call me Sasuke-teme, now say it!" Sasuke shot back.

Seeing no way out of his predicament, Naruto slumped his shoulders in defeat. "Sasuke-teme I promise I will not think like a blonde-baka and trust you from now on."

Sasuke threw an arm over the blonde's shoulders and turned him to face the others sitting at the table, "See that wasn't so hard! Now you can't be scared about me leaving you anymore, ok?"

Naruto thought for a few moments, slightly overwhelmed that his friend would go that far just to reassure him before breaking out into a wide Uzumaki grin. "Even if I totally kick your butt in a spar?" he asked slyly.

Sasuke snorted, "As if, _dobe!"_

"I dunno, I have an advantage now, teme, you're old!" Naruto taunted back.

"Let's see about that! Let's spar, right here, right now!" Sasuke challenged.

Thus the verbal battle began.

"I'm afraid you'll have to postpone that match, otouto." Itachi's voice came from the living room.

"Why?" both boys whined.

"Because we have guests." Itachi said standing in the doorway, two hooded figures behind him.

"Who are they?" Sasuke asked curiously, while Naruto clung to the older boy's sleeve.

"I'm sure you'll remember them." Itachi said mysteriously, stepping aside to let the figures into the room.

The taller figure looked up and met Sasuke in the eyes.

"Kaa-san….." Sasuke breathed.


	21. Ramen & Water

"Kaa-san….." Sasuke breathed. He was afraid to move, afraid that he was seeing things and if he so much a twitched his mother's beautiful face would disappear into a dream.

"My baby!" Mikoto cried, throwing her hood back. Grabbing Itachi's arm, she ran to Sasuke, wrapping them both in a tight, tender embrace. Through the tears and the smiles the only sounds that echoed throughout the room were whispered endearments and apologies.

Naruto, who was feeling like he was watching something he shouldn't, began to edge away towards 'Kashi-tou-san when Mikoto's arm reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder. Releasing her sons for a moment, she studied the young jinchuuriki before wrapping him into a motherly hug and whispering an almost inaudible "Thank you." into the young blonde's ear.

Pulling back from the trio, she gestured towards the doorway where the other figure still stood. "Come on, nii-san, no need for the mystery anymore."

Shisui pushed back his hood and smiled at his cousins widely. "What's up?" he asked nonchalantly, but the water in his eyes betrayed his easy stance.

….Well, until .02 seconds later when he was glomped by an overly excited Sasuke. "Shisui-nii-san!" the newly-minted six-year-old exclaimed happily.

* * *

The next week was quite pleasant for the trio. With the addition of Shisui, Itachi had someone closer to his own age to talk to while Mikoto spent time with Tsunade and Shizune or watching one of her sons practice. To say that she was surprised that Sasuke had mastered so much would be an understatement.

"_Guess he's not going to be my baby boy much longer_." she thought wistfully.

Kakashi's voice brought her out of her musings. "Mikoto-sama, I will be taking Naruto on a sort of field trip tomorrow and it will be nearly his birthday before we return."

She turned and faced the legendary "Copy Ninja" with a careful look. "Where are you taking little Naru-chan, Kakashi?"

"His uncle will be accompanying us actually, we will be retrieving some things that Ryouta-san left behind pertaining to the Uzumaki clan heritage, and then make our way back here slowly." Kakashi replied evenly.

"I see." Mikoto turned back to where she had been watching her youngest son spar with the young blonde. Both were working hard to master techniques and skills far beyond their years. However, the smiles and laughter that she saw them exchanging took some of the severity out of the training, making more like play.

Making them more like children.

"When are you going to tell him?" she finally asked the silver-haired shinobi quietly.

"Tonight, after dinner. I thought it best to not let them dwell on the fact for a long period of time." Kakashi replied.

"Very well then." the gentle woman replied, turning away from him with a heavy sigh. "_I'm going to have three very upset young men in a few hours. I need a nap."_ she mused mirthlessly.

* * *

Uzumaki Ryouta closed his shop door behind him firmly, making sure everything was secure.

The nearest shopkeeper had promised to keep an eye on the place while he was gone. Lugging his baggage with him, the elder man set out for the home of his old friend, Hayashi Kamiya.

Whom, coincidentally, was making a going-away dinner for him and his nephew.

Ryouta looked at the darkening sky above him, wondering if teaching the boy about their clan would put even a drop of forgiveness in his personal desert of failure.

_"I guess all I can do is try to pour everything I have left into Naruto-chan. I know it'll never make up for what I've done, but I can try."_

* * *

Dinner was an animated affair to say the least. They had all sorts of their favorite foods which Shisui, Itachi, Sasuke, and Naruto enjoyed stuffing their faces with food that had been made by the four resident women.

Although they made enough homemade ramen to feed a small army, it was gone rather quickly.

The last of it being on Ryouta's plate.

"Hey are you going to eat that, Uncle Ryouta?" Naruto asked cheerfully.

Looking down at the homemade ramen on his plate, Ryouta made a contemplative face for a moment, while his nephew inched closer to the coveted plate. Just before his chopsticks could reach the prize, Ryouta skillfully slurped up the noodles and looked at his nephew smugly,

"Why yes, Naru-chan, I am."

Naruto looked crestfallen, while the others at the table laughed.

"He got you, dobe!" Sasuke laughed. Shisui and Itachi said nothing, but they were both snickering in between bites of their rice balls.

"Hmph!" Naruto pouted.

As the dessert was brought out, Kakashi cleared his throat, garnering him the attention of the adults. Ryouta whacked Naruto over the head with his chopsticks to get Naruto's attention, which got Sasuke's attention.

"Everyone I have an announcement!" Kakashi said with a patented one-eyed smile. "Tomorrow morning Ryouta-san and I will be taking Naru-chan on a trip and we will not be returning until the second week of October." he finished in one breath.

The results of the announcement were immediate.

"**What**!" yelled Jiraiya, standing up from his chair.

"No way in **hell **you're taking the gaki!" Tsunade screamed, slamming her palm down on the table.

"Why can't we go, Kashi-tou-san?" asked Itachi slightly accusingly.

"No way that dobe is going on a trip without me!" Sasuke's statement bordered on a temper tantrum.

And of course Naruto's reaction of….silence?

Naruto just sat there with wide blue eyes, looking from Uncle Ryouta to 'Kashi-tou-san, before finally looking down to his hands, which were in his lap.

"Why?" he whispered forlornly. "Why are you taking me away from everyone?"

"We're not taking you away from everyone, Naru-chan." Ryouta soothed.

"Then WHY aren't we going?" Sasuke asked, irritated.

"Let me speak, young man." Ryouta replied wryly.

"Soon Mikoto-san and Shisui-kun will have to return to Konoha. While I'm sure that Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-sama would be more than happy to accompany us, along with Shizune-chan, this is a trip that has to do with the Uzumaki heritage that Naruto carries within him, and I feel that it would be best if Kakashi-kun and myself made this trip with Naru-chan alone. He won't be gone forever, just a little over three months, actually."

Silence reigned over the table. Almost a full minute later, Tsunade walked over and hugged Naruto gently, well, gently for her at least.

"Baa-chan…can't…..breathe…." Naruto choked out comically, causing small smiles to appear around the room.

Tsunade smiled through her tears, setting the boy down and ruffling his hair. "You'd better come back, gaki, you understand me!" she said roughly before walking quickly out of the room. Shizune hugged her little brother tightly before hurrying after her mentor.

Jiraiya was the next to act, walking over to the slightly-still-air-deprived Naruto and whacking him over the head with his pencil.

"Ow! Pervvy Sage!" Naruto whined.

"Can't have you getting soft on me, now brat!" Jiraiya said jovially, before sauntering out of the room- presumably following Tsunade.

Naruto looked up and ran smack dab into the eyes of Itachi. He saw confusion, traces of anger, and betrayal. Not understanding that those emotions were not directed towards him, the young blonde shoved away his plate and ran our the house.

He ran and ran, ignoring the voices calling for him to stop. Finally he looked down and realized that he had left land and was running on water thoughtlessly.

Ryouta appeared beside him, startling the young blonde, but not enough to lose concentration.

"Do you know how far out you are, Naru-chan?" he asked quietly.

Naruto looked at his uncle curiously, before turning around and realizing that not matter how hard he tried he couldn't make out the sight of land…..at all.

Noticing that the blonde was speechless, Ryouta continued. "Your mother hailed from Whirlpool, like me, and so you inherited our natural ability to use water to your advantage. When you overreacted to the look on Itachi-chan's face, you ran, not realizing you automatically ran for the water because it felt the safest for you. While I don't understand how you managed to move so far so quickly, I do know that the others are worried for you back there."

"Why can't they go with me?" Naruto asked meekly, ignoring the water falling from his cheeks.

"Well, because I want to spend a little alone time with you before you return to Konoha." Ryouta replied, shocking the young blonde.

"W-What?" he asked, confused.

"Naruto, my home is here and you are the last member of our clan other than myself. This trip is one of the last ones I will ever make, and I want to be sure that you understand what it means to be a true Uzumaki." Ryouta looked at Naruto who was gazing across the seemingly endless water, mulling. "_Besides, you need to learn your mother's heritage before you learn who your father is and that your father really i-"_

"I'll go." Naruto spoke up suddenly, looking determinedly at his uncle, successfully interrupting Ryouta's thoughts. "I'll tell 'Tachi-nii-san and Sasuke-teme that I need to go. Promise I'll be back for my birthday?" he pleaded with his uncle.

"I promise. But you'll have to work hard Naru-chan!" Ryouta said the last part in a teasing tone, making the chibi smile.

"Bring it on, old man!" Naruto challenged through a tear-stained grin.

"Alright, I bet I'll beat you back!" the elder taunted.

"In your dreams!"

* * *

Their return to shore was greeted with the worried faces some of the people who were most precious to Naruto.

"Mikoto-sama, 'Kashi-tou-san, Uncle Ryouta, could I talk to them alone?" Naruto asked before anyone could say anything. Mind you, he shocked everyone around him. After exchanging glances with Ryouta, they all agreed and withdrew to leave the boys alone.

Taking a deep breath Naruto began, "Before you say anything, I'm going. Just a second, teme! Geez, anyways, uncle wants to spend time with me since he won't be coming back to Konoha with us next year. I don't really want to leave you guys, but we can just think of it as practice, right? For when we become real shinobi and have missions. I mean it won't really be **that** long, right? I mean…"

The blonde's rambling was cut off by two arms pulling him into a tight hug. "I don't want to practice. I want to spar with you everyday, and pull pranks on anki. I want my best friend to stay with me!" Sasuke sobbed into Naruto's sunshine hair.

Itachi came around and wrapped both younger boys in another embrace. Although he would have once dealt with this sort of situation impassively, you could read the grief and pride in his expression. Shisui watched the three for a few moments before looking out across the ocean and speaking quietly.

"You know I remember that barely a year ago Itachi never smiled. I remember that Sasuke always chased his anki but could never catch him. I remember that you, Naru-chan, always looked at the other children with their parents and cried until your tears mixed with blood.. A year ago I never imagined that the four of us would be bound so tightly together."

Looking back at the trio who were looking at him in shocked curiosity, he continued, "I remember that a year ago I would have never thought my clan would be brought to their knees by our very founder. That the children of the Uchiha would be 'Takahashi' with no memory of who we were."

Clearing the lump that had formed in his throat he smiled at the three, moving close enough to ruffle Sasuke's hair. "Therefore, I hope that a year from now I will be able to look back and say that I never imagined such a menial seperation made the bond we share so much stronger."

Seeing what his cousin was saying, Itachi spoke, "What Shisui-nii-san means is that even though our bonds have grown in the time we have been together, the challenge of us being separated will only serve to make them stronger- unbreakable."

The youngest two looked at the faces of the others, before looking at each other and grinning. Both chibi's reached out and grabbed Itachi before proceeding to glomp and unexpected Shisui. Looking smug and satisfied with themselves, they broke out into laughter.

After some minor scuffling and roughhousing, they all stood up and headed back towards the adults and their home.

* * *

After his bath and talking to 'Kashi-tou-san and Uncle Ryouta, Naruto was trying to sleep. "Trying" being the key word. The conflicting emotions that he was feeling were making it hard to do so, however, and he was about to give up when his door opened. Looking up he was surprised to see the three Uchiha's standing there, blankets and pillows in hand.

"Move over dobe-baka!" Sasuke groused as he climbed into his best friend's bed, snuggling up to the other chibi. After Itachi and Shisui made themselves comfortable at the end of the bed, Naruto thought about how grateful he was to have them with him. Just as he was about to start tearing up he was roughly poked in the side. "Oi!" he cried, rubbing the spot.

"No thinking, just sleeping chibi-baka." Itachi told him playfully, but firmly.

Naruto didn't need to be told twice. He just reveled in the warmth surrounding him.

* * *

To say that Kakashi thought the scene heartwarming was an understatement. In the early morning hours the Copy ninja came to retrieve the young blonde, only to find more than one body occupying the bed. Knowing that Itachi and Shisui sensed him, but were pretending to be asleep, he simply gathered his cargo and left.

As he went to jump out the window with the chibi in tow, he said softly, sincerely, "Thank you.

I promise to bring him back safely."

With that said, he was gone.

Therefore he didn't hear Sasuke mumble "You'd better, 'Kashi-tou-san." as the youngest Uchiha snuggled in between his cousin and brother.

* * *

Across the continent in a place called the Land of Water, a lonely young man named Kaguya Kimimaro looked around the cell that had been his home for as long as he could remember. He had heard the members of his so-called 'clan' talking about the Kazekage coming to visit the Mizukage, and how they were going to plan their attack on the "dammed village" then.

Not that it mattered.

He'd never escape this prison.

He knew what he was…

….a monster.


	22. Orange

From the ocean's steady, steadfast tides and calming essence to the energetic bubbling of streams constantly converging and zigzagging through the land to reach their final destination they traveled. The subtle exchange in the terrain from soft to sinking was hardly enough to wake the slumbering chibi who rested upon Kakashi's back., however the tired Copy Ninja had no intention of carrying the young child all the way to their destination. So when they stopped for a break after nearly twelve hours of continuous running Kakashi thought it was very fair to give the young chibi a wake-up call.

…..by dropping him into one of the shallow streams.

Seemed fair…..?

After no more than .02 seconds in the chilly stream the blonde chibi jumped up sputtering, "OI! 'Kashi-tou-san! THAT WAS MEAN! WAAA! I think I got a fish in my pants!" Checking said underpants the chibi found not a fish, but rather a peeved looking crustacean. "WAAAA! Get it off! Get it OFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!" Naruto screamed wildly waving around his arms in a rather humorous manner, which only served to make his guardians laugh even harder.

Finally wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes, the tired Kakashi helped the blonde baka lose his unwanted 'house guest' and change into a new pair of clothes. All the while enduring the chibi's alternate pouting and shouting at him.

"Maa, maa, Naruto! It wasn't that bad!" Ryouta consoled from his spot on a nearby tree stump.

He promptly received a full force glare from bright blue eyes, which had not effect on him.

Seeing this, Naruto saddened slightly, "I miss Sasuke-teme." he whispered miserably to the ground.

Tying to stem the pending brooding chibi, Ryouta hurried to talk, "Naru-chan, have I ever told you about how your mother loved the color orange just like you?"

At the words "mother" and "orange," Sasuke-teme momentarily faded to the back of Naruto's mind.

"Hey, you never told me my mom liked orange too, Uncle Ryouta!" the boy hollered energetically, hopping along the bank until he reached his uncle, Kakashi right behind him.

"I'll make some food," Kakashi said, setting about to do just that.

Ryouta smiled widely, his eyes falling shut in sweet memory of his beloved niece. "Hai, young Naru-chan, I believe that she fell in love with the color the moment she was born. You see…..

* * *

*******FLASHBACK*********

"_Yuki-san! Are you alright!" one of the young nurses asked worriedly, ignoring the worried look she received from the woman's distraught husband._

"_Hai, I'm just fine Taneka-chan," the twenty-three year old Whirlpool ninja answered her best friend and squad medic. "The baby's just a little early is all, gyaa!" the kunoichi's comforting words were cut off by a scream of pain that rocketed the makeshift hospital. _

"_I wish we were recovered a little more from the attack, then maybe she wouldn't be in so much pain." the woman's worried husband, twenty-nine year old Gin, said while softly stoking his wife's hair and ignoring her threats about dismembering him._

_A hand on the young man's shoulder caused him to turn slightly and smile at his wife's favorite brother. "Ah, I see it's time after all." a young version of Ryouta grinned at the other man. "Are you ready for this Gin?" he teased the other man, earning a grin._

"_You bet old man!" the younger man grinned back, returning his attention back to his wife and her threats._

_It was several hours later before Yuki finally gave birth. Gin and Ryouta never left her side, despite the protests of the doctor and nurses._

_When the baby girl was finally born and gave her first cry, her mother smiled in exhausted triumph, motioning for Gin to bring their new daughter to her. Gin successfully retrieved the baby girl from the doctor, smiling with a pride only a new father can truly understand, taking in every feature. He made sure to count all her toes and fingers, just in case- making his wife and her brother laugh. _

_But when he went to give the baby to her mother, the newborn chibi's hand tangled in Gin's tattered orange shirt. Gently disengaging the chibi, he proceeded to give the child to her mother. The little girl wailed in distress, confusing everyone in the room until her father took off his shirt and tucked it around her._

_With an accuracy that confused everyone present, the baby stopped wailing and making endearing cooing noises at her mother, who just laughed. "Well, I guess you're going to be a daddy's girl, aren't you little one?" she said in a voice that only mothers use. "I guess you should have a name now, hmmmm? Let me see…." Looking down at her newborn daughter wrapped in her husband's shirt, Yuki smiled warmly. "Welcome to the family, little Kushina."_

_Her brother and husband looked at each other, before slapping each other on the back and laughing in relief that mother and daughter were okay._

"_Kushina, is it?" Ryouta said with a grin at his sister._

*******END FLASHBACK*******

* * *

Ryouta cleared his throat and continued to the story for the entranced chibi and interested Copy Ninja. "It never changed, Kushina loved the color orange above all other colors, and true to her mother's prediction she was a daddy's girl! So you see Naruto you come by your love for orange naturally!" Ryouta laughed at his nephew and ruffled blonde as he stood up.

"Well, I guess we should best get moving!" he said cheerfully, leaving no room for argument as he lept gracefully into the trees.

"Come on Chibi-baka!" Kakashi called to the young blonde boy with misty eyes.

"Oi! I am not a chibi-baka!" the blonde shouted at the silver-haired ninja, shooting off into the trees.

Ryouta and Kakashi politely ignored the soft smile on the boy's face as he gripped the orange straps of his pack as they continued on their way.

"_Mom….." _Naruto thought, "_Maybe you're not as far away as they said…_"

* * *

**~~~~~With Sasuke~~~~~**

The morning sunlight hit the six-year-old's eyes with the same brilliance it did everyday, but it just didn't seem as cheerful. Opening his dark eyes, little Sasuke saw that his brother and cousin were already awake and his nose confirmed that they were making breakfast.

After doing his morning routine, which seemed empty with no one to grumble at, the chibi appeared in the kitchen. "Morning…" he mumbled, reaching for a plain muffin.

He received a more cheerful response, but it just did nothing to lift his mood.

**He. **

**Was. **

**Gone.**

The blonde chibi-baka who gave him back his brother.

The dobe who dared to teach him to walk on water.

His best friend…

"Sasuke." his elder brother's worried voice broke through his depressing train of thoughts.

"What," he mumbled, realizing with a start that there was water on his hands- and his muffin. Hastily grabbing a napkin, he wiped at his hands only to find that the liquid was still rolling off his cheeks. Embarrassed that he was caught crying at the breakfast table, he threw the muffin down and ran out of the room.

He ended up on the water where he had waited anxiously just the other night for Ryouta to bring Naruto back. "Why!" he thought brokenly, "Why does everyone I love have to leave me!" Stomping his foot on the water in frustration he drew in a ragged breath. "I'm an Uchiha, dammit! I won't let this get me down!" Sasuke clenched his chibi hands into fists and brought them up to roughly rub his eyes.

"'Kashi-tou-san said that he'd bring Naruto back and I believe him." he shouted at the water beneath his feet. "So I'm not gonna…I'm NOT gonna just stand here and cry until he gets back!" Taking another cleansing breath the chibi looked up at the blue sky, " I'm gonna get Itachi-nii to teach me something awesome that will make the baka so jealous that he'll wish he never left m- us! That he never left us!" Sasuke shouted at the clouds, defiantly, as if daring the damn thing to defy him.

"Talking to yourself, foolish little brother?" Itachi's voice interrupted Sasuke's rant at the heavens. "You know," the elder boy said as he made his way to his younger sibling, "It's okay to miss your friend."

"Who said that I was friends with that blonde baka!" Sasuke snapped irritably.

Itachi threw his head back and laughed, a sound that never ceased to make Sasuke smile, "Well, call it the intuition of an elder sibling, alright?" the elder finished, ruffling the younger boy's hair. "Now what Shisui and I were going to ask you this morning was if you wanted to go with me on a journey through Wind Country." Seeing Sasuke's brows furrow he hurriedly added, "It will only be until the first part of September at the latest, and Jiraiya-sama will be taking us. I just thought it would be a good idea to get out of here for a while."

Seeing his little brother preparing to throw a tantrum- Uchiha's do not throw 'fits' thank you very much- Itachi continued, "Look, Sasuke. I know that you miss Naruto, as do I, but staying here out of a sense of stubbornness is not going to help anything."

"Butwhatifwedon'!" Sasuke burst out all at once.

"Is that what you're worried about then?" Itachi sighed and raked his left hand through his tresses. "Look, if we stay here we will be the only ones- _**listen Sasuke**_- Mother and Shisui have to head back to Konoha tomorrow, Tsunade-sama is restless and will likely leave tomorrow with Shizune-nee-chan, and Jiraiya-sama has a mission in Wind Country. Then we'll be the only two left here with Hayashi-san, and while she is a kind woman, don't you think she wants some peace and quiet for a while?"

Sasuke refused to look at his brother for most of his speech, refusing to admit that his brother was right and that they should go with Jiraiya-sama. After a few minutes of internal struggle, he finally raised his head to meet his brother's calm eyes. "Alright, Itachi-nii." he said quietly.

"Just promise me that we'll be back in time to meet the dobe?"

Itachi smiled softly at how maturely his brother handled the mild chastisement, "_You're growing up too fast, little brother."_ he thought sadly. "Alright then," he voiced aloud, "Should we get to packing then?" he asked his little brother, wrapping an arm around his sibling's shoulders as they walked back to their house.

"_Well, at least with Jiraiya-sama with us it should be interesting."_ Itachi thought wryly as he helped his sibling pack.

* * *

**~~~~Kirigakure no Sato~~~**

Kimimaro looked around the cell that had been his home for as long as he could remember. Sure, they let him out to run around for an hour every week, but that did nothing to stem the loneliness he felt. The young man smiled slightly. When they let him out to run around it was only in the room right in front of his cell. They also was forced him to wear special papers- he wasn't sure what they were, but they hurt!- to make sure they could control his power.

"_Why?"_ he thought solemnly to himself, "_What did I do to make them lock me up? I can hear the prisoners on the other side of the wall bragging about their stories, but I don't remember ever hurting anyone. I even helped a butterfly once, at least that's what I think they are called. I don't get to read books unless Aki sneaks out to see me and even then she can't leave them with me, so I'm not sure of anything really. Sometimes though, if I listen really hard I can hear her teaching at the academy."_

Shifting positions slightly, Kimimaro's introspection continued, "_I wonder what it would be like to have someone talk that gently to me without fear of being caught by the clan? All I get are glares or threats. Sanju was really brave to bring his wife to teach the monster but then again he smiles at me every once in a while when he brings me my food, so maybe he doesn't think I'm all that bad." _Kimimaro's musings were interrupted by the door opening.

"Is it time to eat already?" he rasped out, thinking that maybe Sanju would smile at him

The person who entered made him smile wider. It was Sanju's wife, the local teacher, Aki, and she brought someone with her.

"Kimi-chan, I'd like you to meet someone!" the kind woman said brightly, ushering a boy around Kimimaro's age into the room.

The other boy looked at Kimimaro with calm, curious eyes.

"You're….. "


	23. Moving Out

**~~~~~~Sunagakure no Sato~~~~~**

"Kankuro-baka watch out!" Temari yelled as a wave of sand came down towards her and her younger brother. Panting harshly, Temari pulled her fan back before slamming it forward, using her chakra to sharpen the attack, hoping to break the sand wall.

The attack hit the wall of sand and dissipated harmlessly. "Dammit!" Kankuro yelled in frustration.

"Ahhh!" Temari yelled as the sand buried her and Kankuro, who couldn't figure out a reasonable counterattack.

"Getting tired, nee-chan, nii-san?" Gaara teased lightly as he commanded his sand away from his siblings.

"Some of us…*pant, pant*….don't have insane amounts of chakra, like **some people** we know." Temari ground out good-naturedly. Although she was peeved that she couldn't get enough force behind her attack to break Gaara's wall.

"Yeah, really, how am I supposed to fight against Mr. I-Have-A-Giant-Sand-Wall-That-Will-Bury-You-In-An-Instant with my little puppet?" Kankuro grumbled in time with his sister.

Gaara laughed at his siblings complaints and helped put them on their feet. "So, do you guys want to go again or do you want to call it quits for the day?" he asked them.

"I think we should call it a day, little brother." Temari said, putting her hand on her youngest brother's shoulder, and nudging him in the direction of their home. They had been several miles from the village training for the better part of the day, and it was starting to get late.

"Maa, Gaara, do you think that 'Mari and I will ever to break your attack?" Kankuro asked as he fell into step with his siblings.

Gaara's eyes regarded his brother for a moment before answering, "I think so. I just think that you aren't reading it early enough to stop it." he answered simply. At his sister's confused look he continued, "The attack is strong, but you aim for the wrong areas. If 'Mari-nee-chan would focus her attack better, it would be sharper." the red-head explained, "Then aim for the base of the sand wall with it, effectively cutting it off, while you, 'Kuro-nii-san, use the confusion to come at me with your puppet." he finished.

Temari and Kankuro looked at each other and then at Gaara, "How long have you had that strategy?" Temari asked suspiciously.

"Since before we started." was her answer.

"**And you just thought about telling us now?" **she yelled, while glaring at her youngest brother. A vein appeared on her forehead.

"Well, you just now asked me, nee-chan." was Gaara's reply.

"I can't believe it!" Kankuro said hanging his head in disbelief, "We trained all day to try and figure it out and wonder bunny here had it all along." he whined comically, playfully punching his brother in the shoulder.

"_**I am not a bunny!" **_resounded through Gaara's head immediately after Kankuro's statement, making Gaara chuckle.

"What'd the fluff ball say?" Temari asked with a smirk.

"He said that he was as cute and cuddly like a bunny!" Gaara replied mischievously, while his demon sputtered, whined, and ranted.

His siblings laughed as they all made their way back to Suna- and supper- Kankuro reminded everyone.

Temari smiled as she watcher her brothers who were still going on about Shukaku's 'cuddliness'. "_Hard to believe that six months ago we were scared of Gaara."_ she mused to herself, falling into her own thoughts.

* * *

**~~~Temari's Inner Thoughts~~~**

"_I remember the days right after Gaara returned, everyone was still scared of him. Baki-sensei was surprised when he showed up for training! Especially when Kankuro volunteered to spar against him. I thought Baki-sensei was sure that he was going crazy because he kept trying to release a genjutsu and then he left to see the medical ninjas! He came back the next day though, and acted completely normal._

_Watching Gaara learn taijutsu was so funny! Baki-sensei almost had a heart attack that whole first month! At first it was hard for Gaara to get Shukaku to completely stop the sand so that he could actually learn how to take hits, but we figured it out. Gaara's gotten pretty good at it, too! He spars mostly with sensei now, but he still prefers to train with us._

_We asked him once if he wanted to transfer to another team, since Kankuro and I were only holding him back. Once he got over the fact that we weren't trying to get rid of him and that we really thought we were holding him back- which we do!- Gaara just laughed and said that as long as we believed in him we would never be holding back._

_The way that kid thinks, I swear that he's gonna end up being Kazekage! What kind of six-year-old thinks like that? Well, Kankuro and I don't really act our age either, but Gaara is the baby! He should think a little more like a little kid, right? Okay, that sounded stupid, so I'll forget that I thought that, but- I still think that he's gonna end up as the Kazekage! _

_It's been kinda cool 'cause eventually sensei began to trust Gaara too. He hasn't told father, and I am glad for that. That Orochimaru-snake-bastard guy is really creepy and I'm not sure that he and father are 'just old friends'. I still don't like how Orochimaru-snake-bastard looks at Gaara. _

_Shukaku told us that he switches bodies every so often and it causes his soul to deteriorate, and that he wanted to have Gaara's body. We've been keeping an eye on how powerful Gaara looks in front of the creep though! That's why we keep training out where no one can see us! They'll never get my baby brother! Not now that I have him back! Breathe, Temari, breathe! Okay, -oh, look there's the gates. Are those two idiots still teasing Shukaku? Boys. Creepy little things!_

**~~~End P.O.V.~~~ **

* * *

After reentering the village, they made their way to the Kazekage mansion, aka their home since their father was never there. Upon entering though, they found someone they never expected to see.

Their father.

"Where have you three been?" he growled.

"Training." Gaara replied blandly, moving past his father and heading for the kitchen, his two siblings following close behind.

"I don't really care." their father bit out harshly, "but you need to get packed because we are traveling to Kirigakure no Sato in the morning and I don't need to spend half the day looking for you three."

Before she really thought about, Temari asked, "Why? Is it about the water treaty?"

Her father's eyes raked over her harshly, and she felt Gaara tense ahead of her, but she remained defiant. Finally her father exhaled and responded a succinct, "Yes. So don't be late. And Gaara- no killing the servants while we are there. I don't want the Mizukage to know my youngest son is a monster." With that said, he stiffly stood up and left his 'home'.

Though not before Gaara felt like he had been kicked hard in the stomach and both his siblings wanted to do nothing less than severe damage to their father.

Temari grabbed her littlest brother and hugged him tightly. Panicked she began to ramble comforting things, while Kankuro just stared at the ground. "We don't think of you that way anymore, Gaara, we don't! Don't let hi-"

"I know." the quiet voice cut off his sister's stream of words, "I know 'Mari-nee-chan, but it felt good to hear you say it." With a kiss on his sister's cheek, he motioned for them to continue their way to the kitchen.

* * *

~~~~~~Timeskip~~~~~~

**~~~~~Two Weeks~~~~~**

It had been a long journey to Kirigakure no Sato. Fortunately their father had left them alone, so the three siblings had been able to ditch the 'Gaara is a homicidal manic act'.

"Maa, Gaara, do you think you can use the wet ground like you use sand?" Kankuro asked curiously.

"_**Not really. You'd have to use a fire jutsu to dry it and then convert it into sand- wet ground has different properties that sand. Would take too much chakra to move the large, wet particles."**_ Shukaku answered Kankuro in Gaara's mind. Gaara lazily relayed the message to his curious brother, using his new nickname for Shukaku, "Fluffy-wuffy-bunnykins says that…."

Temari looked at the terrain surrounding them with only mild interest at best. "They have more greenery here, but it's soooooo muggy." she complained.

"Hey!" Kankuro said suddenly, sitting straight up, "Isn't this the country dad's sister ran off to like, forever ago?"

"Hey!" Temari said, suddenly interested, "Didn't she marry into some strange clan or something? But since she resigned her ninja duties, she wasn't labeled as a missing-nin!"

"I think so." Gaara said, "It was like Kayug or something or other. No one ever really talked about it while the Third was still alive and when father took office it definitely became a taboo subject."

"We're here!" the driver called, interrupting the trio's conversation.

* * *

"Man, sometimes I have being the only daughter of the Kazekage!" Temari complained, flopping down on the couch in the house they would be staying in.

"Don't blame ya there, nee-chan." Kankuro looked at his sister sympathetically, they had been trying to get her to show interest in the Mizukage all evening.

Their conversation was cut short by an unfamiliar presence entering their living space. Quietly readying their weapons, they were poised for an attack when a woman's voice stopped them.

"Don't attack, please!" The woman threw herself on the ground in front of the siblings, "Please you have to help him!"

"Who?" Kankuro answered harshly.

"This boy in my clan! Please! If not for his sake then for mine," the woman looked up at them for the first time, "I am your father's sister, Aki. Please!"

"What's wrong with him that we can help with?" Temari asked confusedly.

"They call him a monster." At the siblings glares, she hurridley continued, "I know the stories coming out of Sunagakure no Sato, you've changed. I want you to help him! Please young masters!" She begged, lowering herself to the floor.

"Why do they call him a monster?" Gaara asked guardedly.

Still keeping herself on the floor, Aki responded, "He was born with the clan's bloodline, which is very rare, and because of that he has been locked in a cage his entire life. Please, Gaara-sama tell him tha-"

Cutting the woman off mid-sentence, "Where is he?" Gaara asked cooly.

Looking up at the young boy she smiled for the first time, "At the clan headquarters, can you get past your guards?"

Grinning mischievously, Temari looked at her brothers, "Oooohhhhh Gaaaaaaara." she sing-songed.

Gaara grinned, "We'll meet you outside the compound in ten minutes." he told their guest.

"Is that all?" she asked, stunned.

Temari grinned, "Well, Aunt Aki, Gaara still has some people convinced that he's a maniac. It works to our advantage that they are our guards and father isn't coming to this place. Ten minutes, max."

Aki smiled at her niece and nephews, "Very well, ten minutes."

* * *

"This way." Aki whispered, leading them down the corridors and alleyways of the clan home.

"Almost there."

Opening the door to Kimimaro's cell, she heard the boy rasp out, "Is it time to eat already?"

Stepping into the room and guiding Garra she smiled warmly at the boys, "Kimi-chan, I'd you to meet someone"

* * *

**~~~~Small island to the south of Kirigakure no Sato~~~~**

"We're here" Ryouta announced to the tired Copy Ninja and an exhausted chibi.

"Where are we, Uncle Ryouta?" asked the sleepy chibi looking around the small bustling village. Haphazardly made shacks lined the streets and the smell of fish had assaulted the boy's senses for a while. Several ships were sitting anchored on the dock and their crews were unloading the day's catch.

"A small fishing village named Tsuyama, it's an old Whirlpool outpost and my…..friend Yoshikumi Ayumi still lives here and has kept my old things for me." Ryouta replied patiently, looking around the small fishing village for the familiar house.

"Well, Ryouta-san, never thought I'd see you again." said a new voice, "and who are these two brats you've brought along?"

"Ahh, old friend, it's good to see you!" Ryouta replied, embracing the woman.

Ayumi looked at her old friend, he had aged considerably in the ten years since she had seen him. She herself had streaks of grey in her mane of dark hair. Still annoyed that Ryouta- at 5'10"- still towered over her smaller frame by seven inches, she elbowed him and gave him a threatening look, prompting him to introduce his companions.

After the introductions were over, she looked at the tired men in front of her, and chuckled at the chibi that had fallen asleep against the Copy Nin's side. "Well, you can explain the reason why you have decided to surprise me after a decade after we get them home." Ayumi turned and showed the weary traveler's towards her home, a pained smile on her face.

"_Two Uzumaki's in my home, hmmm? It has been nearly twenty years since the last time that happened_. _This should be an interesting visit. It almost reminds me of…."_

* * *

**~ Amegakure ~**

Jiraiya had always laughed at Tsunade when she yelled at him and ranted that his karma would bite him in his ass someday. Now, however, she thought she might be right. Looking at the two miserable, drenched, and disgruntled Uchihas that were walking beside him, Jiraiya began to wonder if he should stop "researching"- at least for a few days- _**maybe**_.

Jiraiya sighed as he listened to Sasuke complain _again_ about how much he hated rain. "Sasuke, we all are tired and sopping wet, but I have something I need to do here before we continue on to Wind Country, ok?" the Toad Sage explained patiently.

Adjusting his pack- which was _**sopping wet**_, thank you!- Sasuke merely grunted, though he ceased jabbering about his hatred for rain. Instead he focused his "killer glare" on the raindrops unfortunate enough to fall in front of his face.

Itachi wearily looked at his younger brother and chuckled at the sight of Sasuke trying to evaporate the rain with his glare. "That's not going to help, foolish little brother." he pointed out.

Sasuke growled at his brother, "It might!"

"Nope, no chance."

"Hey! I-"

"Will you two just shut up?" the poor old man yelled. "I swear if I hear one more complaint out of the two of you today, I'll-I'll shave my head and not drink sake for a month!" he ranted dramatically.

Itachi and Sasuke shared a look, "You promise?" Sasuke asked deviously.

"Ye-NONONONO! I was just yelling! Gah! Damn brats!" the sannin whined theatrically.

Laughing a new voice called, "Losing to children now, Sensei?"


	24. Squishy

"You're…."

"This is my nephew, Gaara-kun, Kimimaro-kun." Aki said cheerfully as she ushered the red-haired boy further into the small room, allowing Temari and Kankuro to come in and close the door behind them.

Kimimaro looked hesitantly at the other children in the room, waiting for the inevitable reaction of fear or disgust he always got. After a few moments of tense silence he rasped out a shy, "He-hello."

Temari smiled brightly at the young boy and knelt down to be eye-level with him, "Well, hi there! I'm Temari-chan! I'm the oldest! And the funny-looking one with the make-up-" here she pointed at the now-sputtering Kankuro, "is our other brother, Kankuro-chaaan."

Kimimaro looked warily at the strange girl crouched in front of him, but after a few minutes of her sitting there smiling at him the boy felt obligated to at least return the kindness.

Maneuvering himself to be directly in front of her instead of against the wall, he reached a small hand through the bars toward her, "I'm Kimimaro, pretty girl."

"Awww! He called me pretty!" Temari squealed, startling the young boy.

"_Did I do something wrong?"_ he panicked.

"Don't worry, that's just our big sister." the one named "Kankuro" told him with a sideways grin. "She's just mental like that."

Temari jumped to her feet and charged towards he little brother, "WHAT did you say, baka?" she raged.

"No-nothing, big sister! Honest!" Kankuro whimpered pitifully.

"Don't mind them," Gaara finally spoke, "they're just being silly." Seeing Kimimaro nod slowly, Gaara took his sister's former spot in front of the boy, he stared hard into the other chili's eyes.

Kimimaro felt trapped by the other boy's gaze, he felt like his insides were being looked at and he didn't like it! What if they found out about his power? They'd leave him, like everyone else! They couldn't, he wouldn't let them! It wasn't his fault!

"Calm down." he heard Gaara say. Blinking slowly, the silver-haired child looked fearfully at the older boy. "You," Gaara began in serious tone, "are nothing like me."

"But, Gaara-kun!" Aki began frantically, rushing to the cell entrance as Kimimaro began to shake, "you can't just jud-"

"-you've done none of the things I've done. You are entirely innocent." Gaara finished slowly.

"Why is he being held like this, Aki-san?" the Ichibi container looked to his aunt curiously.

_Before he could hear her answer, however, Shukaku piped up inside Gaara's mind_, "_**Fear."**_

"_**Why would they fear someone who has done nothing wrong?" **__Gaara pondered._

"_**The same reasons that the Uchiha clan fears your big brother, Itachi."**__ the fur-ball responded._

"_**Hmmmm…**__" the boy mulled over this information._

Seeing Gaara's expression become contemplative, Temari interjected for the sake of her confused aunt and the bewildered Kimimaro, "He's talking to Squishy-chaaaaaan."

"_**I am most certainly NOT squishy young lady!"**__ Shukaku railed, as if she could hear him. However, the statement amused his container._

"Squi…shy?" Kimimaro wondered aloud.

Temari nodded energetically at the utterly confused chibi, moving to sit beside her younger brother and to the left of her aunt- who was staring uncertainly at the younger of Temari's brothers.

Kankuro chuckled as he moved to a comfortable sitting position beside his siblings in front of the Kaguya heir "You see, Kimimaro-kun, Gaara-_chan_ here understands a thing or two about being misunderstood…."

* * *

Blonde hair glistened in the morning sun, small feet dangled off an old pier, and inquisitive blue eyes took in everything that moved in the quiet morning activities. It had been two days. Two days since he found out what the Uzumaki clan had meant to the former Whirlpool country. How…..anti-climatic?

He still didn't know what in the world it had to do with _him_, though! And why couldn't he tell Sasuke-teme? It wasn't like the arrogant jerk could steal something that was inside his blood, right? How does one steal "steadfastness of heart" or "strength of loyalty," anyways? Were these people insane? Well, 'Kashi-tou-san was….so maybe Uncle Ryouta and Aunt (as she insisted he call her) Ayumi were too.

But, his newly acquired "aunt" made ramen that was _almost_ as good as Old Man Teuchi's.

_Almost._

Anyone who could make ramen that good couldn't be _crazy_, right?

Naruto sighed heavily. They kept talking about his mother- his parents, but whenever he asked what his dad's name was he was always shut down. Now he knew that his mother was Uzumaki Kushina, jonin, of the former Hidden Whirling Tides, and was distantly related to the gambling baka Tsunade-baa-chan.

Apparently his 'clan' was known for their quick healing, long life, and sealing abilities. Other nations feared the gifts of the Uzumaki being used against them, and so they besieged the small island that was once Whirlpool. According to Ryouta and Ayumi, most survivors fled to Konoha, but it was a distant possibility that there were other scattered across the continents.

Sighing, _**again**_, the young boy laid back to watch the clouds…only to scream when he landed on the protected feet of one amused Copy Nin. With a patented eye-crease the aforementioned nin cheerfully piped, "Well, how's it going, little Naruto-chan?"

"I'm not little!" the small chibi defended cutely, albeit vehemently.

Kakashi was not deterred by his charge's attitude, "Compared to me you are!" he sing-songed, much to Naruto's annoyance.

"Am not! Just 'cause you're older than dirt doesn't make me little!" he retorted.

The silver-haired ninja held his heart in an obviously feigned, dramatic gesture, "Why, little Naruto, how could you sell me so short! I'm much older than plain old dirt!" he whimpered pitifully.

A wry grin spread across Ryouta's face as he made his presence known, "I would like to know Naruto-_chan_, if Kakashi-kun here is older than dirt, than what exactly am I?"

Kakashi held a slightly panicked look while his young charge screwed up his face in exaggerated thought, "Hmmm…older than dirt…" he mumbled to himself.

Kakashi managed to find a glimmer of hope that maybe his smartass chibi would keep his blessed mouth shut for once when the boy dashed that hope with a bright smile.

"You, Uncle Ryouta, are older than rocks."

"Rocks?" Ryouta answered curiously, much to Kakashi's dismay- _he_ had to deal with the moody Ryouta, not the chibi, dammit!

"Yup," the blonde pressed on, unaware of his father-figure's distress, "'Cause it takes rocks a

reeeeeeeeeally loooong time to make dirt!" he explained cheerfully.

Kakashi cried chibi tears.

Ryouta brooded.

Naruto was confused.

And Ayumi? She laughed her head off.

* * *

The red-haired boy stared at his friend, utterly amused. "How…_how_ does one mess up instant noodles?"

The older boy sputtered and ranted, "Well…..it's not _my fault_ that the directions were ambiguous! Seriously, when it said to heat the water- it never stated _how_ hot!"

The girl of the trio paused in her inspection of what was once her friend's "lunch" and quirked an eyebrow, "Seriously, the container **melting** wasn't a clue?"

The older boy looked at the girl, aghast, "You-You're supposed to be on my side! Mine!" he whined.

"I'm just saying that the container incinerating itself _with the noodles inside_ **may** have been an indication that you were doing something wrong. That's all." she replied calmly, though her eyes were bright with mirth.

"Or, if you were smart, you wouldn't have tried to use an _underdeveloped katon jutsu_ to cook your food with, genius!" the other boy chortled.

Throwing his hands up in the air at his two so-called friends the older boy grabbed his coat and stormed out of their small hut, ignoring the small dog that was poking the suspicious remains on the kitchen floor. "I'm going after more noodles!" he called as he took off into the evening. "Stupid instant ramen!" he muttered.

After making his way to the market and buying more "evil-instant-ramen-noodles-of-doom" and ignoring the sales lady's surprised look when he asked the melting temperature of the above mentioned evil noodles, the boy weaved through the familiar terrain, stopping when he heard a familiar voice.

Sprinting towards the sound, he stopped above a rock overlooking a small group. Chuckling at the scene before him the boy called out, "Losing to children now, Sensei?"

* * *

Kimimaro thought about the story that Kankuro had told him just a few hours before. "_It seems that Gaara and I have a few things in common." _he thought to himself as he watched the shadows of his clansmen dance across the walls of his little room.

As soon as Kankuro had finished the story Sanju had burst in with Kimimaro's dinner in one hand and frantically motioning for his wife to get herself and the three other children out through the back exit with the other.

Apparently there was a big emergency clan meeting tonight and they didn't have much time. Aki had quickly ruffled Kimimaro's hair before she and the others hurried to get away. Sanju had given Kimimaro the food and with a sad smile was gone.

Having not really been hungry, Kimimaro had pushed the food around on his plate, before setting it aside in favor of hugging his knees and mulling over Gaara's story.

"_It wasn't just Gaara-kun who suffered, though."_ he thought to himself once again, "_Pretty Temari and Funny Kankuro were suffering too, not only 'cause of what Gaara could do, but because they loved him. I wonder if anyone ever loved me like that?"_

Kimimaro resumed watching the shadows dance as he tried to remember anyone other than Aki or Sanju who had even seen him as a human being, let alone as a loved one. Supposedly his "father" was the clan leader, but he hardly saw the man other than for the required quarterly inspections.

His musings were interrupted when the door was thrown open and light invaded his small space. "Get up!" a gruff voice ordered harshly- Kimimaro barely placed it as the clan leader before the cell was unlocked and the boy was unceremoniously hauled out.

"_It's not time for my exercise yet, what's going on?"_ Kimimaro thought frantically, "_Did they find out about Aki? Is she ok? Are Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari ok?"_

"Yo! Pay attention, brat!" the clan leader roughly shook the boy as he towered over the child. "Tonight we overthrow the blasted coward who calls himself our leader! And you will do your part! As the pride of our clan! Our greatest weapon! Now go! Kill anyone from Kiriagakure no Sato!"

With a roar the clan rushed into the night, small scared boy in their midst.

As the animalistic roar of bloodlust rose around him, Kimimaro was frozen stock still. The clan leader had seen him standing, motionless as the attack started and slashed a shallow stripe across the boy's chest as a warning to do as he was instructed.

Kimimaro rushed down the road in great haste, trying to calm his frantically beating heart. Even though his clan's leader had said all that about him being their pride, he felt like he was being discarded.

Caught up his musings, he nearly ran into a traveling duo. Falling into an attack stance, he narrowed his eyes and poured as much gruffness into his voice as he could. "Are you from the Village Hidden in the Mist?" Kimimaro challenged.

The man just looked down at the white haired child, but his traveling companion shook his head no.

Relaxing and nodding to the duo, Kimmaro ran towards the village he had never been allowed to visit to carry out his clan's despicable mandate.

The boy looked after the disappearing Kaguya before returning his gaze to the man beside him. "Hs eyes reminded me of mine, before I met you, Zabuza-san."

Zabuza just snorted, "Che. Let's keep moving, Haku." With that, the duo made their way away from the Village Hidden in the Mist and the Land of Water.

* * *

Kimimaro killed as quickly as he could, trying to not think about what he was doing. Covered in blood that he was fairly certain was mostly not his own, the boy propelled himself forward stubbornly. Kimimaro raised his weapon and was about to end the life of another Kiri ninja when he felt something hit him from behind. Stumbling past the terrified ninja Kimimaro tried to regain his bearings.

"_Did….did…..did someone kill me?" _he grappled as his body went slack and fell into unconsciousness..

Just before he blacked out, however, he thought he heard a rather smug voice declare, "_**Who's "squishy" now, boy? Hmmm?"**_

"_**Prairie dog!"**_


	25. Mistakes of the Past

*****A few days prior, with Naruto******

Naruto panted harshly as he dodged yet _another_ attack from the **crazy** old woman. "Oi! Old Lady Ayumi, are you suuuure that the ramen will be ok with Uncle Ryouta?"

Ayumi laughed, only an _Uzumaki_ could be so concerned about food during a battle. Shaking her head and once again altering her stance she _once again_ aimed a low kick at the chili's mid-section. Hearing the yelp immediately following her successful execution she taunted the boy a little, "Well, since you were so concerned about your stomach, I thought I'd help you focus." she chirped cheerfully.

Naruto glared at his so-called "aunt" as he tried to figure exactly what in the hell was going on. This morning he got up, bathed (after being told no ramen if he didn't!), and came down to get food (again with the ramen)- when this crazy lady swoops in, chucks him over her shoulder, and takes him to the middle of _**absolutely frickin' no where**_! And why? To beat him up. Like she had been for at least…well, forever! And he was hungry! Hungry, dammit!

The beautiful sunrise and the calming breeze wafting off the ocean were lost on the pouting, _hungry_ chibi.

Ayumi sighed at her pupil's glazed over look, complete with a pout worthy of a pro- most notably Ryouta, she chuckled- and walked over to the sunshine-haired child. Taking a seat by the wary boy, she gestured for him to sit. After looking out over the ocean that glistened in the early morning hours, she sighed again.

Naruto, now thoroughly confused, sat down dumbly and waited for….whatever. Preferably ramen, though.

Instead, Ayumi reached over and ruffled the boy's hair- causing sapphire eyes to turn up to her in surprise. Ayumi drew in a shuddering breath beneath the weight in his gaze. "_So much like Kushina's love. If I didn't know any better I'd say she made him a mini-Minato on purpose!"_ She shook her head to steady her thoughts- she had to get through this without breaking down, dammit!

Not realizing that her hand still rested in the chili's blonde locks she softly began her tale, "I was a friend of your grandmother's until she died."

Naruto gaped at the mention of his mother's mother- _**family**_- sure he'd gotten used to the idea a little, but it was still a little weird to hear it said out loud!

Clearing her suddenly laden throat, Ayumi continued in a clearer voice- "Yuki-san was amazing in battle, the best master of the sealing arts on the whole island, and one of the best friends anyone had been blessed with. It was during the unrest just a few years before the Third Ninja War that she was killed mistakenly by an assassin."

Naruto's blue eyes looked down at his hands. He might not have known her, but she was his grandmother! Ayumi's voice brought him out of his depressing thoughts.

"Yuki-san looked like a missing ninja from the Village Hidden in the Rain at first glance and the assassin struck before fully confirming her identity. I don't remember much about it, just the clouds on his cloak and him cursing about losing some bounty. Of course there was a substantial bounty for Yuki-san, too, but he must not have known about it."

Ayumi drew a deep breath and closed her eyes tightly, pulling the chibi close to her when she heard him whimper softly. Looking at the grass softly swaying before the expanse of sand that led to the ocean, she silently prayed to and Kami listening for strength. The wind softly licked the trees behind them, as the greedy waves carelessly tossed themselves against the shore, making the ambiance soft, but solemn. "_How fitting."_ the old woman mused sadly. "_Even after all this time, this world still mourns your passing, dear friend."_

Naruto, for his part, had no idea what this had to do with beating him up so early in the morning, but he wanted to know what happened. Even through his innocent grief he could feel the ending still suspended between them.

Gazing across the lands before her, Ayumi continued in a rougher voice, "Kushina-chan was devastated by her mother's death. Of course, she wasn't really _little_ per say, but she was young. Much like so many other children from that time. So many lost their families." Looking down at her angel-haired charge she managed a tiny smile, "War brings out the worst and best in people. Fear will make a human being do things that defies comprehension."

Naruto nodded his head slowly, not understanding her sympathetic gaze. It was sad, really sad- but what did it have to do with this morning?

"Fear is one of the most destructive things mankind has ever known." a familiar voice drawled from behind the pair.

Both beings on the ground jumped at the sound and turned to find Kakashi and Ryouta standing behind them. Kakashi sat beside his master's son and pulled the boy into his lap, Ryouta sat beside Ayumi with his legs pulled in front of him and his head hanging low.

Naruto looked up into Kakashi's solemn eye and knew it was time to be silent and listen. His attention retuned to his uncle when the man cleared his throat.

So many thoughts ran through the old man's head. Would Naruto hate him? He should. It was all his fault. Nothing would had been the same if he _**had been there for them**_.

Clearing his throat he continued, "While Kushina-chan was not a child, she also was not an adult and in a time of unease such as that she needed to be protected. I was so **angry** about my sister's death that I went in a blood rage. I volunteered for every mission I could, trying to kill her memory, though I told myself it was to avenge her death. Now, however, I see my folly."

Ayumi bit her lip as the memories washed over her anew. Ryouta turned further away from her and plodded onward, "Thus her best friend took over the job of looking after Kushina…..and our young son. Naruto-kun, " his uncle's pained voice made the boy look up at him, "Ayumi-san _**is**_ your aunt."

Naruto gasped at his uncle, more tears replacing the ones that had fallen on Kakashi's clothes. "You…..you mean….." he stammered.

Kakashi rubbed soothing circles in Naruto's back as the chibi absorbed the fact that _Ayumi was really family._ Family_. __He had had family all along_. And they had **abandoned** him.

Before he could comprehend his anger of helplessness, his uncle's voice cut through his thoughts, and curiosity won over the boy- if only for a moment.

"I know there is no forgiveness for what I have done. I abandoned the people who needed me most. My love, my life, and my beloved niece." Ryouta's voice broke more and more with every passing word, not chancing a look at the woman he had wronged so fully.

Grappling desperately at the message he wanted to impart to the young boy so raptly listening he continued, "But I wanted you to know, little nephew, that the strength you hold inside of you- the steadfastness of heart most never achieve; the strength others gain just from your loyalty- will become corrupt if you allow thoughts of revenge and hatred consume your thoughts. You will lose your soul and everything precious you ever held in your arms."

When he faltered again, trying to desperately to push down the loathsome feelings long enough to finish the tale, Kakashi took pity on the old man and took over the tale.

"Chibi-baka," he started- gaining the attention of said chibi along with light traces of annoyance at the hated nickname, "While your uncle was on a mission, Whirlpool came under siege. The enemy had but one goal: To utterly destroy the village and its inhabitants. In the final hours it was decided by the remaining leaders that the female ninjas would take the children and they would flee to the official ninja village of the Land of Fire- the Village Hidden in the Leaves, the staunchest ally of Uzu no Kuni."

Finally finding her voice Ayumi cut in, "We ran. We grabbed what we could and we **ran**, but we were anticipated." her eyes grew haunted and she unconsciously grabbed Ryouta's limp hand for comfort. Looking at the chibi the words spilled out, unbidden, "We were attacked by more of those men in the strange cloaks, most of us were killed. I knew I could only protect one of the children. It was a terrible decision. Kushina-chan was old enough to fight, but she was still inexperienced and my son….." her voice faded abruptly as tears - so _**familiar-**_ began to streak down her face.

"My son….he saw and he _**knew**_….even at his tender age. He loved Kushina-chan as a brother would love a sister- albeit a loud-mouthed, obnoxious sister." She laughed a miserable laugh as she thought of her children's antics. "He looked at us with such love and devotion- he rubbed the back of his neck and closed his eyes." Clutching the necklace around her neck, she rambled on, "He told us that he was a big man, like his daddy….and he….he was going to protect _us_…."

Looking down, Ryouta cursed himself for the millionth time since the day he had found out what had happened. Ayumi tightened her grip on his hand and began the end of her tale. "He ran. One of the other female ninjas went after him, but neither of them were ever heard from again. We heard she died, but we've never…..n-never found…h-h-is…."

Naruto put a hand on his aunt's arm to show her he understood. He was hurt and angry, but he **loved** these people, dammit, and he wanted them to be _**happy**_! Trying to think of something to lift the mood he suddenly blurted, "But what did that have to do with beating me up first thing in the morning, old lady!"

Kakashi stiffened, waiting for an angry outburst from the grieving woman. What he got, however, was a complete change in demeanor- she threw her head back and laughed. Truly, deeply, and richly she laughed. After a few minutes both younger males looked at each other, slightly scared of the crying, laughing, _**insane**_ woman beside them.

Calming herself enough to respond, she explained. "It was a morning routine for me and the kids. They would try to land a hit on me before breakfast." Her eyes shadowed briefly before she roughly pushed the depression aside, "Even though you didn't know the rules, I just couldn't resist!" she said with a playful smile.

Deciding she had been weak enough for one day she pulled her- surprised, to say the least- estranged husband to his feet and ruffled the boy's hair before winking at him and Kakashi while merrily calling, "Last one to the house gets no ramen!"

With that, the two elder ninjas were gone.

Kakashi shook his head and Naruto decided that ramen was first , everything else he could think about later.

* * *

Kimimaro woke up and immediately knew he wasn't in the Kaguya clan home anymore.

For one- it was **hot**!

For two- he was in a **room**.

Struggling to sit up and get his bearings he was immediately tackled into a….hug?

Blearily blinking his still-not-functioning eyes he focused on a blonde mass of pigtails, that seemed to be _squealing_?

Unaware of her "patient's" distress, Temari, upon seeing he had awoken- glomped him and proceeded to squeal out, "You're awake! You're awake! You're awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake!"

Upon bursting into the room, Kankuro sighed. "_Sisters."_ "Temari-nee-chan, you're squeezing him to death." he stated boredly- noting the boy's blue complexion.

As his brother spoke Gaara peeked out from behind his big brother- to the newest family member.

"Hello." he said politely. Temari had been trying to teach him that death glares, while effective, do not always work the best. So, he was trying to be polite.

Apparently he did something right, though, because his sister released the other boy and beamed at him. "That's right, littlest brother!" she chirped merrily.

Kankuro rolled his eyes and was about to make a comment when a practice fan hit him dead on between the eyes- before he could open his mouth to tell her off about it, however, Temari smiled sweetly and reached for another fan on the beside table. This one slightly more wicked looking.

Kankuro promptly shut his big mouth.

"What am I doing here?" Kimimaro asked hoarsely, gaining everyone's attention.

"You live here now." Gaara stated simply, as if were obvious.

Judging from the look on Kimimaro's face, it was not obvious.

Temari quickly asked Gaara to get the bed-ridden boy a glass of water so she could explain what happened…more _delicately._

"Well, after Gaara-kun knocked you out," she stated brightly, "we snuck you back here. Father wasn't happy, naturally."

Kankuro snorted, "Furious was more like it."

Temari raised her fan.

Kankuro cowered.

"As I was **saying**, Father was not pleased, but we managed to convince him that you could be a companion to Gaara-kun- in the fighting area, of course. Once he heard how strong you were he was more than happy to let you stay." Seeing Kimimaro's face fall she looked to Kankuro desperately- only he seemed to taken to looking out the window intently.

At this point Gaara re-entered the room and explained, "Father only sees power. He only cares for that which can make him stronger. If we told him we wanted you to be a friend, he never would have accepted. So we told him what he wanted to hear."

Kimimaro's eyes widened in surprise and then understanding. Nodding his head, he was still puzzled as to why someone would go so far for him.

Gaara knew the expression on Kimimaro's face more intimately than he cared to remember. "You're our brother now." he said simply. "Now, rest more. You're still weak."

Kimimaro resisted a little as Temari tried to push him back into a comfortable sleeping position. "_What if they disappear when I close my eyes?_" he thought- panic started seeping into his mind. _"I can't go back! Never!"_

Knowing what the boy was thinking, Gaara walked over to the large bed and plopped down beside him, crossing his arms and laying back. "I'll stay with you." he said simply, ignoring the expression of chock on the other boy's face.

Temari smiled.

Kankuro smirked.

Their father was a _**fool**_.

Gaara _was_ dangerous.

They exchanged a look as the paused to look back from the door.

Their little brother would lead their village someday.

**They just knew it.**

* * *

As Kakashi and Naruto left their home of the past few weeks they smiled at the two told ninjas.

Since they had told their story they seemed to come to terms with each other. Accordingly, Ryouta decided to stay longer than expected and so it was up to Kakashi to get Naruto back to the Uchiha brothers safely.

As they reached the end of the path leading to the main road the sunshine-chibi looked back, "Oi! Uncle Ryouta! Just in case- what was my cousin's name?" he asked curiously.

Smiling gently at the young men in front of them, Ryouta allowed a name to pass his lips that had not been uttered in nearly two decades. Taking a deep breath he looked at the travelers and prayed to the Kamis that somehow the cousins would find each other somehow.

"Yahiko. His name was Yahiko."

Gripping the orange strap on his backpack Naruto gave his uncle a blinding smile, waved and ran to catch up to his father-figure.

Kakashi smirked to himself, "Yahiko, eh?"

* * *

Sprinting towards the sound, he stopped above a rock overlooking a small group. Chuckling at the scene before him the boy called out, "Losing to children now, Sensei?"

Both of the Uchiha brothers snorted at the newcomer. He obviously knew Jiraiya, alright.

Rounding on the owner of the voice with a grin firmly in place the Toad Sannin shot a reply back to his old student- "Still incinerating innocent instant foods…Yahiko?"


	26. Cooking 101

Sprinting towards the sound, he stopped above a rock overlooking a small group. Chuckling at the scene before him the boy called out, "Losing to children now, Sensei?"

Both of the Uchiha brothers snorted at the newcomer. He obviously knew Jiraiya, alright.

Rounding on the owner of the voice with a grin firmly in place the Toad Sannin shot a reply back to his old student- "Still incinerating innocent instant foods…Yahiko-kun?"

The drenched figure sputtered and denied the accusation indignantly. "He-Bu-Man…..No! No! No!"

Itachi and Sasuke looked at each other bemusedly. This guy was as bad as _Naruto_.

Jiraiya grinned widely at the contents of the boy's bag and continued to taunt his former pupil. "Oh…so it was ramen again, eh? Geez, Yahiko-kun, you would think that by the age of nineteen you would be able to make something a five-year-old can make!"

Jumping down to be nose to nose with Jiraiya the abused blonde was gearing up for an all-out screaming match with the old pervert when he felt the older black-haired boy grab the younger and dodge…something. Acting on instinct Yahiko veered left, inadvertently doing exactly what the assailant wanted.

Jiraiya screamed comically when the pebble projectile came into contact with his forehead protector. "Nagato-kun! What was that for!"

The accused boy appeared beside Yahiko, with Konan trailing just behind him. Grinning at the rain-logged old man he feigned outrage, "Oi! Old Man Pervert! What's with the harassment? You haven't seen us in what- two years and instead of a friendly "hello" Yahiko-kun gets abused about his cooking skills- which, by the way, have only gotten worse."

Jiraiya held his hand over his heart dramatically as he was playfully glared at by three sets of eyes. "Maa! Where is the love?" he mumbled.

Konan grinned at her former master and turned to the two other members of their make-shift party. "Hi!" she said cheerfully. "I'm Konan-chan," she said pointing to herself, "this is Nagato-kun," she said pointing at the red-haired boy who was taunting the sanin about…something or other, "and the domestically challenged one over there, "she said pointing at the fuming golden-haired boy next to Nagato, "is Yahiko-kun."

Itachi slowly rose to his feet, his left hand clasped tightly with Sasuke's right one, and politely nodded to the girl. "I am Itachi-kun, and this is my little brother, Sasuke-kun." he informed her softly.

She smiled at the smaller chibi, who was glaring cutely at her- or at least, in her opinion. "Come on, while the idiots are arguing we'll go dry off!" she said happily.

At the words "dry off" both Uchiha boys decided she was a Kami in disguise and wasted no time following their new-found savior away from the three arguing males.

Dry was good.

They could make fun of Jiraiya later.

* * *

Silence.

"Are we there _now_?"

"**No.**"

Silence.

"Uhhhh…"

"**No."**

"Bu-"

"**No! No! No!"**

"'Kashi-tou-san I am tired, hungry, aaaaaaand I have to go to the bathroom!" Naruto sing-songed merrily, not at all affected by Kakashi's lack of humor.

Kakashi, on the other hand, was wondering what in the **hell** possessed him to think that he was capable of both **protecting** and _entertaining_ Naruto by himself. Running his hand down his masked face in a tired motion he found a suitable clearing and plopped down in comic exhaustion, while Naruto ran about setting up the basics of camp.

"_Three more weeks before we meet up with Jiraiya! Can I handle it?_" he pouted to himself.

* * *

"Temari-nee-chan, look out!" Gaara called to his older sister- who was currently trying to cook something for them all to eat. The….whatever-it-was in the pan…came flying at the young wind user who barely managed to dodge.

The four members of the kitchen stared at the…blob that stuck to the wall and slowly worked its way down….still in the same shape it landed on the wall.

"Instead of cooking _us_ something to eat, I think that _something_ is going to eat us!" Kankuro whispered to the confused Kimimaro.

Pointing at the stove the newest member of the sand tachi rasped, "Pretty Temari, is the rice supposed to look like it's breathing?"

Looking over at the remaining pan on the stove Temari realized that _maybe_ she needed some instruction when it came to cooking- but she was making Kankuro go with her! "Everybody get down!" she yelled, sprinting to the stove to turn off the heat. No sooner had she accomplished that and hit the floor beside the boys the rice in the pan….erm, _rained_ down on the occupants of the kitchen floor.

Getting up off the floor first Gaara casually brushed off his clothes and turned for the door,

"Take-out, then?"

Three heads nodded in agreement.

Later that evening, after devouring their take-out gratefully, much to Temari's chagrin, the two eldest sand siblings said goodnight and headed to bed, while Gaara and Kimimaro opted to sit outside the Kazekage mansion and look at the pristine desert sky.

Both boys sat under the window for the dining room- it gave off enough heat to stave off the cold night air. Neither really felt the desire to talk- content to sit and enjoy the feeling of actually having a _companion_. They sat there while the moon crested magnificently in the blanket of darkness before beginning to fall as it prepared to surrender its control to the sun for another cycle.

By this point Kimimaro had nodded off on Gaara's shoulder, a small smile on his face. Looking down at his friend Gaara slowly reached his hand towards the night sky- silently promising to do everything in his power to protect his friends, his family, and even his village.

To protect.

To love.

To repay one Uzumaki Naruto.

* * *

"Now, now Naruto-kun- you need to bend your knees more!" Kakashi playfully called to his young charge who was struggling to keep his balance on the slippery terrain. After the first few days of traveling alone Kakashi realized that he did not need to necessarily _entertain _Naruto, he just needed to _train_ him- both wearing him out and occupying his time. This was not to say that

Naruto was feeling used or abused- quite the contrary! Naruto was having fun!

Blue eyes stayed focused on his parental figure while simultaneously searching for the strongest branches, shallowest puddles. Ducking under a low branch to avoid knocking himself out- again, Naruto hurried to catch up with 'Kashi-tou-san! "Hey 'Kashi-tou-san!" he called over the rain, "How much longer before I get to see Sasuke-teme and Itachi-nii-chan again?"

"Depends on how fast you ruuuuuun!" Kakashi called back merrily not slowing down. "At our current rate we should get to the planned meet-up point in about another week!"

"Ahhh!" Naruto groaned comically, "You mean I gotta spend a whole 'nother week with you alone, 'Kashi-tou-san! I'm so going to get wrinkles or something!"

"I resent that!" Kakashi called back. "I'll probably start eating ramen morning, noon, and night if I have to spend more than another week with you alone, ochibi!"

"Hey! Leave ramen out of this!" Naruto screamed back, "It's greatest, juiciest, most amazing thing next to orange!"

"That's what I mean! Any more time alone with you and I'll be an orange-wearing, ramen eating ochibi!" Kakashi yelled back.

Naruto sputtered about how wearing orange and eating ramen constantly was not a bad thing at all! Just as he started to formulate a good comeback Kakashi veered off to a nearby cave.

"This is where we make camp for tonight, chibi-baaaaakaaaaa."

Nodding tiredly to Kakashi, Naruto proceeded to strip off his wet attire and put on some of the precious few dry clothes he had left. After Kakashi got the fire going, Naruto laid his wet things next to it and rummaged through his stuff until he found some miso-flavored ramen. As he was preparing his- delicious- meal, he asked the question that had been on his mind since they left Uncle Ryouta and Aunt Ayumi. "'Kashi-tou-san?" he called.

"Hmmrrrm…." the tired teenage ninja answered from across the fire.

"Do you think my cousin is still alive somewhere?"

One lazy black eye opened slightly while its owner sighed, "Honestly, I don't know." he answered honestly. Seeing the downcast gaze of his companion he quickly added, "But then again, stranger things have happened! So, really, who knows!" Cue patented eye-crease.

Smiling across the fire as he happily consumed his supper Naruto fell into his own thoughts. "_I wonder who he'll act like."_

* * *

Sasuke could not help but like Konan.

She was the only other sane person here!

Sasuke watched as his brother attempted to help Yahiko 'cook' again. Now, that would be fine and good except his older brother was attempting to teach Yahiko the right way to use a _katon jutsu_ to cook freaking **ramen**! Nagato would be alright if he ever stopped laughing at Yahiko.

A scene that painfully reminded Sasuke of a friend he had not seen in quite some time. Ero-sennin had left two days ago to go gather 'information'. A statement that caused all the occupants of the small hut to chortle or laugh outright at.

So then, there was Konan. She made him real food. She didn't make him talk. She gave him blankets without being asked. She did ruffle his hair, but he supposed he could live with that in exchange for her letting him sleep in her room instead of with the _crazies_.

**Boom!**

Sigh.

"Now, Yahiko-kun, you have to control the jutsu or you make the flames too intense for the container." Itachi chided amusedly.

"I vote he quits and gives me all the money he would have spent on ramen instead," Nagato quipped from the sidelines earning him a not-so-gentle whack on the head from Konan, who was folding origami nearby.

Sighing to himself, Sasuke returned to his previous thoughts. He missed the clear sunshine, having dry shoes, and being able to talk to someone his age to talk to- or argue with. It was kind of fun watching Itachi act his age a little, though. Trying to teach the lovable, but somewhat dense Yahiko and firing back at Nagato's sharp-tongued barbs had made the eldest Uchiha a little less of a tensai and a little more a normal pre-teenager..

Sasuke sighed for nth time and looked longingly out the window. What he wouldn't give for…..

Wait!

Three people were coming up the narrow dirt path!

Excited at the thought of visitors- or a fight- he stood up and ran out the door, startling the others.

Even though he heard his brother call for him Sasuke ran closer to the approaching trio.

Upon getting closer to them he saw the shortest member look up and smile, triumphantly calling a very familiar-

"Oi! Sasuke-teme! Long time no see!"

"Naruto-baka!" Sasuke called- for once not minding the rain all around him as he ran to hug the daylights out of his best friend.

Having sensed the arrival of Ero-sennin and the two tag-a-longs long before, Sasuke's other companions merely watched the reunion in tempered amusement.

"Hey, Itachi-kun, " Yahiko said to the boy beside him, "If I had known all we needed was a minature clone of me to get him to stop sulking I would have transformed _weeks_ ago!"

Itachi merely smiled, but Nagato couldn't help himself, "Why would a transformation be necessary? Just walk around on your knees. You're not that tall anyways."

"Hey! Nagato-kun! That wasn't very nice!"

By now the two youngest had resumed their good-natured bantering and the elders made their introductions.

"Kakashi-kun, this is Konan-chan, Yahiko-kun, and Nagato-kun. Guys, this is Hatake Kakashi and his charge, Uzumaki Naruto."

Kakashi nodded politely to them all, but as soon as Jiraiya said Naruto's name Yahiko and Nagato went ram-rod stiff.

"Did you say _**Uzumaki**_ Naruto, Old Man Pervert?" Yahiko asked very quietly.

"Oi! You got a problem with my name, old guy!" Naruto glared up at this stranger who dared insult his awesome name with all the indignation he could muster.

Sky blue eyes met confused amber. Sunrise clashed with sunset.

Naruto's mouth gaped open like a fish, turning to Kakashi he tugged on his left sleeve, "'Kashi-tou-san his hair is _**awesome!"**_


	27. Everything Changes

It seems Kakashi's affinity to dogs was not limited to his ninja hounds. The moment after Naruto had commented on Yahiko's hair the resident four-legged, furry animal had attached himself to Kakashi, much to everyone's amusement.

Now, nearly a month since their arrival- seeing as it was the end of August, Kakashi could not help but be amused. Dividing themselves into camps and "training" their _katon jutsu_ had become a past time, since it was the rainiest part of the year anyways.

Watching Itachi and Yahiko try the _katon jutsu _one more time on yet another innocent container of ramen was bad enough. Watching Nagato, Sasuke, and Naruto successfully use the same _jutsu_ five feet away and gloat loudly was downright dangerous to the Copy Nin's already sore ribs.

Tiny merely watched from his pile of blankets next to the Copy Nin, lazily nudging Kakashi's hand into petting him.

Naruto pointed at yet another failed attempt from the "Old Guy" camp: "Oh, look, _extra crispy_ ramen!"

Yahiko spluttered and pointed back at the chibi blonde who was looking quite smug,

"Yo-You only win because you have an extra person on your team!"

Itachi raised an eyebrow, "Am I that lacking, Yahiko-kun?" he asked in that cool Uchiha way.

Looking more flustered that he had been just a moment ago Yahiko did his best to backpedal and save his training "buddy". "But-I mean-gah!"

At that moment Naruto had decided he had had enough and tackled his cousin to the floor. Sitting proudly on the older boy's midsection he poked Yahiko's cheek with a stubby finger and loudly declared that he, Naruto, was much more awesome than Yahiko!

Sasuke came barreling at Naruto and knocked him off the older boy. "Who is much more awesome than the 'Old Guy' team, idiot?" he asked dangerously.

"Hey! I helped!" Naruto yelled back, indignantly!

Nagato chuckled, "Opening the package and staring at the container isn't the same as completing the jutsu yourself, lil Yahiko!"

"Yeah, idiot!" Sasuke crowed.

Naruto crossed his arms across his chest and pouted on the floor.

"Aw! Poor chibi!" Konan cooed, "would you like some homemade ramen?" she bribed.

Naruto's head whipped around to face the older girl, "Miso?" he asked hopefully.

Konan smiled widely, "Of course!"

Yahiko piped up, "No fair! That's my favorite!"

Konan smiled sweetly, "I know! Come along Naruto-kun, Yahiko-kun- you two can come with me and carry the supplies back!"

Both blondes went to put on their rain gear, muttering something about "devious girls using our weaknesses," but both promptly shut up at the look Konan shot at them.

Nagato, Itachi, and Sasuke laughed at the chumps who had to go out in the downpour and lug groceries back to the hut. Well, that was until Konan rounded on them and informed them that she expected the house to be spotless when they got back, and proceeded out the door calmly.

Kakashi smiled at the three dark-haired boys, and before they could say a word he was gone in a "poof", causing his canine companion to stretch and shake….knocking the pile of charred ramen containers over before strolling over to Sasuke's bedroll and curling up.

* * *

Wandering through the stalls, out of the rain for the moment, Konan picked through the meager vegetables, trying to pick out the best ones. Yahiko and Naruto were ambling along behind her, content to actually have a somewhat normal conversation- about ramen, of course.

Suddenly both Konan and Yahiko went ram-rod stiff. The rain seemed deafening around them.

Naruto gazed up at his cousin curiously, wondering what was with the look in his eyes.

Suddenly Yahiko scooped him up and sprinted towards the city gates, Konan hot on his heels, ingredients forgotten. Easily navigating through the torrential downpour was child's play for the two rain ninja, but their pursuers were just as adept.

Naruto knew something was wrong, very wrong- but he could not bring himself to scream or squirm. Instead, he dug deeper into Yahiko's chest and cried silently, his little body pounded with life-sized droplets as his cousin ran faster.

He wanted his 'Kashi-tou-san!

Suddenly objects were flying past Yahiko's clothes and his cousin's movements became irregular, though still controlled even on the slippery terrain. He looked up long enough to see Konan and Yahiko, who were now side-by-side give each other an uneasy look.

They were approaching a canyon and they needed to take the higher ground. Konan disappeared in a flurry of paper, momentarily confusing their pursuers. Yahiko pushed himself to reach the higher outcropping, trying to take the high ground before his enemy could. He felt his baby cousin, the one he thought he would never meet, crying silently into his chest, clinging to him like a lifeline.

He was almost there…just a few more feet!

Suddenly he felt an unfamiliar surge of chakra, and at the last moment he took the lower ground.

Good thing.

Not a full heartbeat later _they_ appeared at the top of the hill.

Konoha ANBU ROOT.

Danzou.

Yahiko mentally cursed, "Fuck."

That was not the worst part.

Konan did not have enough time to change course, and before she even fully materialized Danzou had a kunai to her jugular.

Yahiko growled in rage for his friend, his sister.

In Yahiko's arms Naruto calmed slightly, lulled by a presence that was familiar, yet foreign.

Like water gently sliding across his skin, enveloping him into a sense of security he only felt with 'Kashi-tou-san.

While Naruto calmed, the situation took a turn for the worst..

At Danzou's side appeared the leader of the Village Hidden in the Rain, Hanzou.

"What's the meaning of this, Old Man!" Yahiko yelled- confused and hurt.

Hanzou looked at the young man with something akin to pity, "I'm sorry Yahiko, but you and yours are a threat to little bit of stability we have managed to acquire since the war. If I allow to live, the rebels will win."

Yahiko screamed incoheretly as Danzou moved the knife to slash Konan's throat. Her eyes were scared, but they held no tears.

"_I am grateful_," she thought as she watched Yahiko scream in agony, "_I am grateful that I met Jiraiya-sensei, Nagato-kun, Yahiko-kun, Naruto-chan, Sasuke-chan, Itachi-kun, and 'Kashi-tou-san. I would have liked to have stayed a little longer with them….." _

She vaguely felt the knife tip press to her throat and she steeled herself- she was not naïve enough to believe Danzou would not make her suffer at least a little after all of his operatives she had killed. She heard Yahiko screaming for them to let him take her place, it was all his fault, his orders.

Just as soon as she felt the steel pierce her skin she felt the weight of the weapon and her captor fall away. Konan felt herself pushed backwards towards her friend and Naruto.

It seemed like the sky opened up and smiled- or maybe it was just the way Naruto smiled,

"'Kashi-tou-san! Ero-sennin! Uncle Ryouta! Aunt Ayumi!" he cried happily.

Yahiko's fingers seemed to lose their strength, and so Naruto wriggled free, standing on his own two feet.

"Father….Mother…." Yahiko finally breathed.

At the soft acknowledgement, Ryouta and Ayumi glanced back at their little boy, who was not so little anymore, still with a hand protectively on his younger cousin's shoulder.

"You always were a protector, Yahiko." his mother said softly, before turning back to her opponents with a mother's wrath blazing dangerously in her eyes.

"What is the meaning of this Danzou, Hanzou?" Jiraiya asked in a low tone, looking back and forth between the two men.

Danzou merely looked at the sannin, his operatives poised to attack. Hanzou stared hard at the Leaf ninjas, apologizing for nothing.

The silence stretched between the two sides endlessly, making the rain seem insignificant. Naruto looked back and forth and back and forth…..he was confused. Wasn't battle supposed to be exciting? The four rescuers were facing the entire entourage like they had all the time in the world for the other side to make the first move.

In the next moment everything changed.

"Get the Kyuubi container. He should not be out of the Leaf Village." Danzou ordered suddenly.

"What's the meaning of this, Danzou! We had an agreement!" Hanzou bellowed as chaos erupted.

Kunai and tags flew towards Yahiko and Naruto, as the adults were engaged in individual battles: Ryouta vs. Hanzou, Kakashi and Jiraiya vs. Danzou, and Ayumi vs. a tiger-masked ROOT member.

Yahiko managed to deflect the first wave of weapons, but with the enemy closing in fast he was running out of ideas- if he did not have the chibi he could have ran, but with his options running low he silently prayed for help. Running out of time, Yahiko was ready to just shield Naruto and hope against hope someone could help them, when the entire advance staggered to a stop.

Whipping around, Yahiko saw Itachi and Nagato on an outcropping behind them. Somehow Itachi and Nagato had managed to use their individual eye techniques somewhat together and paralyze the entire advance in a genjutsu.

Jumping down and joining Yahiko and Naruto the other two boys glared at those who dared attack their own as the enemy advance broke through the jutsu and darted back behind their leaders, awaiting new orders as the rules of engagement had changed.

Sensing that they had lost this battle, Danzou called the retreat. Hanzou, also sensing the impending loss also called his own retreat.

Once the assailants were gone, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Jiraiya was nonplussed as usual, Kakashi has sustained minor injuries, Ayumi was nursing a slash to her abdomen, and Ryouta….

Ryouta was lying face down on the ground, unmoving- blood staining the ground atop the crest and sliding down the incline.

"RYOUTA!"

"DAD!"

"UNCLE RYOUTA!"


	28. The Paths We Take

Yahiko dully watched the flames lick at the cold body of his father. Ayumi had tried- with Jiraiya and Kakashi- to save their friend and comrade, but the damage had been too great.

Ryouta had died.

Yahiko's body suddenly lurched forward as he fell to his knees and buried his hands in his hair. His chest heaved as he sobbed in silent agony.

Kakashi held an inconsolable Naruto closer to him as he watched Yahiko's struggle from the other side of the ceremonial burning of Ryouta's body. To Kakashi's left was Jiraiya and to his right was Ayumi. Standing closer to Ryouta's head were the Uchiha brothers, with Konan and Nagato standing just behind Yahiko.

The sounds of grief slowly receded with the flames of the fire. Ayumi walked over to her son- their son- and put a soft hand on his shoulder. Seeing her boy's tear-stained face and grief stricken eyes made her heart clench. "Yahiko, darling, I need to take your father's ashes to old Whirlpool country, he always wanted to be buried next to his sister."

Yahiko's mind was slow to process what she was saying, "WAIT!" he said desperately, stumbling to his feet as quickly as his numb legs would allow, he grasped his mother by the shoulders. "You're-you're LEAVING me too!"

Ayumi winced at the implication, but slowly nodded her head, "It's one last thing I can do for him, dear-"

"What about me!" Yahiko exploded, "What about me, _Mom_? You're just going to leave me **AGAIN**?" Yahiko threw his arms up desperately, the family he had just found was leaving him- again.

Jiraiya had heard enough. "Ayumi, is there any way you could take him with you?"

Nagato and Konan, who had only listened so far stepped in, "The blonde haired _baka_ isn't going anywhere without us!" Turning fierce glares towards both Ayumi and Jiraiya, the two stepped up by Yahiko and crossed their arms- as if daring to be challenged.

At this point Naruto piped up, "'Kashi-tou-san! They can't all leave me!" he begged, twisting his hands in the older man's jonin vest anxiously, his big blue eyes fixed on his cousin's group.

Hearing the young boy's panicked voice, Itachi and Sasuke made their way towards their younger brother.

"Now, now, Naruto-kun, would we let you go running off by yourself?" Itachi gently chided, as he came around to Kakashi's left side so he could look directly at the petulant chibi.

"Yeah, really, _baka_." Sasuke echoed his brother's statement.

Naruto rubbed his eyes, the day's events taking their toll on his small body, he just wanted to go back to yesterday!

Sensing his young companion's distress, Kakashi rubbed his charge's back soothingly. Coming up with a plan, he broke into the heavy silence, "Well," the masked man started with his patented one-eye smile, "why don't you three accompany Miss Ayumi, then?"

Mulling over the idea, the two on either side of Yahiko decided this was acceptable, and fixed Ayumi with a look that booked no arguments. For her part, Ayumi looked more relived than anything else- with her injury it would have been a hard journey, but with the added company it would probably be fairly tolerable. Fun, if not for the purpose.

Sensing the impending catastrophe avoided the silver-haired ninja looked down at Naruto, only to find the boy sleep- and drooling- on his vest. _"Ah, well, better that than him being upset."_ the jonin thought tiredly.

Sasuke swayed slightly on his feet, alerting his brother to his level of tiredness. Scooping up the barely protesting chibi Itachi looked at Kakashi and nodded towards the direction of their temporary home.

Jiraiya took the opportunity to suggest- rather forcefully, that they all needed rest and would decide things in the morning. Ayumi made towards the remains, to place them in the ceramic pot they had procured, when Jiraiya told Yahiko to see his mother back to the hut. Even though Yahiko's befuddled mind only comprehended half of what the Ero-sennin said, his friends helped get the young man and his mother to the hut safely.

After everyone had left, Jiraiya set himself to the task of scraping his friend's remains into the pot and sealing it. Once the bed was rid of the ash he incinerated it, preventing enemies- like Danzou and Hanzou, he reminded himself- from tracking the scent. His tasks done, Jiraiya stole through the night to rest and prepare for what the next day would bring.

* * *

The desert evening was a welcome reprieve from the late summer heat. The sun was just beginning to set, letting the sun-scorched land begin to breathe. An in the kitchen of one home, dinner was being served.

"Wow! Temari-nee-chan! This is ….edible!" Kankuro sighed happily as he bit into a rice ball his sister had made, unaware of the fresh rice ball headed towards his head. As said ball made contact, Kankuro face-planted into his plate.

A dangerous aura floated towards the sputtering boy, "What. Did. You. Say. Kankuro-kun." Temari managed to growl out, whilst holding one of her fans up to strike the flailing idiot.

"Mmmm, this is really good, Pretty Temari!" Kimimaro said enthusiastically as he gobbled up all the rice balls on his plate. Over the past few months the boy's voice had lost most of its rasping from disuse, making him sound more like an average five-year-old.

Temari turned to her youngest "little brother" and cooed, "You're so cute Kimimaro!" she said before she glomped him. Kimimaro looked at Gaara and winked conspiratorially.

Gaara chuckled softly as he watched his sister glomp Kimimaro and exclaim how cute he was- it was almost as amusing as watching Kankuro sulk. "Yes, big sister Temari, your rice balls are almost as good as Baki's wife's rice balls." he said placidly as bit into another ball.

Temari released Kimimaro to run over to fawn over Gaara, who was shooting a smug look to Kankuro.

Kankuro spluttered, they were trying to make him look bad! Darn tag-teaming chibi! "They are only saying that out of a sense of self-preservation." Kankuro said sagely, as he bit down into another partially crushed ball of fluffy rice. Oblivious, he failed to notice the drastic change in Temari's demeanor- and the fan that had just greeted the back of his head with a solid "_thawck_!," once again making him face-plant into his dinner.

"Hmph!" Temari huffed at him, "if you soooo dislike my cooking you can cook yourself!" she threatened.

Kankuro's head came up out of his plate so fast- well, the plate didn't have time to un-stick from his face- so rice rained down all over the boy and the plate met its tragic end on the kitchen floor. "Noonooonooonooo!" he wailed desperately, "I love your cooking!" nearly tripping over his chair, Kankuro attached himself to his sister's left shoulder- rice face and all. "You are the bestest sister ever!" he tried.

Temari's brow merely raised as she steeled herself to unload on her brother. "Well if-"

She was cut off by the sound of the door opening. The four froze up- "_Father_!" she whispered harshly at Kankuro, who nodded his still-rice covered chin in acknowledgement.

Kankuro motioned to Kimimaro and Gaara to follow him as he made his way out of the kitchen and back to their rooms- leaving Temari to begin cleaning the kitchen, hoping to pacify their father.

Temari tried to calm her breathing as she heard her father's footsteps grow louder as he made his way to the kitchen. She had quickly grabbed the plates and swept the rice out of the window with her wind- man, she was glad she was a wind user! She stood at the sink trying to wash the dinnerware nonchalantly as possible to belie her rapid heartbeat and shaking hands.

Squeezing her eyes shut in anticipation as she heard her father stop at the kitchen doorway- she forgot to breathe as he came in, grabbed a few rice balls off the pan, and left without a word of acknowledgement to her.

As his footsteps receded towards his side of the house- it was no longer a home with him here, she thought viciously- she realized something.

He was not alone!

Her breath caught as she ran out of the kitchen towards her brothers- she burst into their meeting room- Gaara's bedroom- just in time to warn them. She had just gotten her message out when the door opened and their father's guest came in.

Eying the blonde girl with flushed cheeks, the boy with the strange brown outfit and makeup, the red-haired kid with the love kanji, and the white-haired boy with the wide eyes, Orochimaru's lips turned up into a creepy smile. "Hello Kimimaro. You are coming with me"

"NO!" the other three shouted, standing in front of the scared boy.

"Temari, Kankuro, Gaara!" their father called, "You will not put your nose in the affairs of your elders!" Gaara's sand began whirling around them, prepared to kill them both to keep Kimimaro safe.

Orochimaru moved too fast to see and slammed a seal into Gaara's forehead.

Just like that it was over.

Once the sand died down, their father's guest had taken Kimimaro, and their father had viciously slapped both Temari and Kankuro for interfering. As he watched Kimimaro being dragged away and his siblings fall to the ground in pain, Gaara silently vowed to get stronger- so that this would never happen again!

Even if it meant he had to kill his father.

Deep inside him, Shukaku heard his container's thoughts through the turbulence of the seal. He felt Gaara's resolve.

Shukaku vowed to help Gaara.

* * *

Mid-morning greeted the Land of Rain with yet another rainstorm. Ayumi and the Rain kids were packed and ready for the journey to the former Uzu no Kuni, while the Uchiha brothers, Kakashi, Naruto, and Jiraiya were geared up to move on. Who knew when Danzou would return for Naruto?

Goodbyes and promises were exchanged as the groups parted ways. It was long journey to lay Ryouta to rest, while Jiraiya's group was headed towards Tea Country to meet up with Tsunade and Shizune. They had left the home of Tsunade's friend and were currently renting a small home in the country.

Looking sorrowfully at his aunt, cousin, and friends Naruto looked at his shoe-clad feet and kicked the ground in frustration. Why did he find people only to lose them again. Surprisingly it was Yahiko who bent down to look the other blonde directly in the eyes while the other milled about, interested in what the blonde had to say to his younger cousin.

Gently hooking his finger under Naruto's chin, Yahiko raised Naruto's eyes to meet his own. "You know chibi, I know you feel confused and abandoned- but think of it this way." Yahiko paused to draw in a steadying breath, "To care enough about another person, to miss them this much- it is an honor. To have known someone who inspires us to be better, to fight for our own precious people- that is what you should remind yourself of. Not the loss."

Ayumi, Jiraiya, and Kakashi smiled at the teenager's logic as Itachi hugged Sasuke in front of him- to remind Sasuke that they could apply the wisdom to their own lives and losses.

Naruto just nodded slowly, never taking his eyes off his cousin's serious face. "So, what you're saying," he spoke slowly, "is that I should be grateful instead of sad?" Naruto's eyes welled up and he began to sniffle quietly.

Yahiko hugged his cousin before pulling away to wipe away the tiny tears. "What I am saying, _baka_," that earned him a half-hearted glare, "is that it is ok to be sad, but don't let your sadness eat you up inside, like Itachi eats sweets!"

"Oi! You eat them pretty quickly too, Yahiko!" Itachi called half-teasingly.

But it worked. "Yeah, you do, 'Ol Guy!" Naruto laughed at his cousin while he rubbed the tears away from his eyes. Looking up at Yahiko with his red-rimmed eyes, Naruto thrust his pinkie finger at his cousin.

"Promise me!" he demanded seriously.

"Promise you what?" Yahiko asked, somewhat confused, while he reached up to snag Naruto's pinkie finger with his own.

"Promise me that no matter what happens, you'll make sure to come back and eat sweets with Itachi-nii-san!"

Slightly bemused by the six-year-old's demand, Yahiko locked his pinkie with Naruto's and gave it a firm shake. "Only if you promise to come back and entertain Konan-chan with you and Sasuke's Tiny transformations!"

Naruto grinned widely, "Deal!"

Tiny barked in agreement as he ran up to give Sasuke one last doggie-kiss.

"I'll miss you too, buddy!" Sasuke said, ruffling the dog's fur. Itachi smiled at his brother and gave the dog one last pat before Nagato called the dog back.

The Rain teens turned to leave, with Konan supporting Ayumi, while Yahiko and Nagato carried the supplies.

Just before they were out of sight Nagato looked back and caught Kakashi's eye- _"I promise."_

After they were out of sight Kakashi turned to the kids in his care. Itachi was dealing with this separation well- on the surface at least- while Sasuke and Naruto still looked miserable. The Copy Nin sighed, when had he become so soft?

Grinning widely Kakashi announced, "Whoever keeps up the best chooses what we have for dinner!" and with that he took to the trees, Naruto and Sasuke trying their best to keep up.

Cries of "Ramen!" and "No way, idiot!" and "Shut up, Sasuke-bastard!" followed by "Cram it, blonde ramen-obsessed freak!" were instantly heard by the two left in the clearing.

Jirayia and Itachi looked at each other and grinned before taking off after the trio.

* * *

Mid-September River country was mild at best, chilly at worst. For the Ame trio, water was not anything new, and they enjoyed their days in the bright River country sunshine- even if it was not overly warm. Tiny had a blast running through all the small streams and then shaking himself off right next to Yahiko. Ayumi's injury was almost completely healed and they were covering more ground each day.

Ayumi had decided to route through River country, go along the coast, trek the small section of Fire country land near the Land of Waves, and charter a small ship to get back to Uzu no Kuni. She knew they could have cut across Fire country, and it would have been a substantially shorter journey, but she wanted to minimize the risk of running into Danzou or his ANBU ROOT.

Though Jiraiya, Kakashi, and the kids were going to Tea Country, they were going to pass by Konoha so that Jiraiya and Kakashi could report to the Sandaime Hokage about Danzou and Hanzou.

Walking on a winding road leading to the coast with her son beside her and Nagato and Konan just behind them, Ayumi wondered, for the millionth time, what life would have been like if Uzu no Kuni had survived. Would her son have had brothers and sisters? Would Kushina have married Namikaze Minato? Would-

"Oi! Okaa-san!" Yahiko called from beside her, effectively snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Yes, dear?" she asked the young man.

"Are you alright? You seem to be spacing out."

Ayumi blinked owlishly, just then noticing that they were stopped in the middle of the road, Konan and Nagato looking at her strangely, Tiny merely found a stick to gnaw on. "Oh, sorry," she said sheepishly, "it's been a long time since I was _there_, so I'm feeling kind of nostalgic."

Nodding their heads in understanding, the quartet began moving forward.

The kids chatted iambically about this, that, and other things as evening began to approach. Veering off into the wooded area beside the road, the quartet found a suitable place to camp, and soon had their tents up with supper cooking over the fire.

Yahiko was the first to retire, Konan not too long after that, leaving Ayumi and Nagato to stoke the fire and decide the watches. Currently Nagato was sitting against a tree trunk- as comfortably as possible, with Tiny at his side, sleeping- staring blankly into the fire.

"Nagato-kun," Ayumi called to the boy across from her.

"Hai, Ayumi-kaa-san." Nagato looked at the woman curiously.

"Would you tell me about your parents, dear?"


	29. Shopping with Itachi

**Author's Note:**

**Hello! Welcome to Chapter 29!**

**I went back through everything...every...single...chapter...and changed stuff, so I hope you all will look through the changes and approve!**

**I didn't really change the main focus, but I would encourage you guys to read chapter 28- or at least glance through it, before reading this chapter.**

**I really would love to hear your opinions on the changes, and I'm excited for what is to come!**

**-Shadow**

* * *

Kimimaro looked around his newest 'cage'. The boy drew his knees to his chest in a familiar gesture, reminding him of his 'clan home'.

As the sun cycles continued in a blur, only interrupted by the creepy cloaked guy who brought him food, Kimimaro began to wonder if he had dreamed up the Suna siblings and their antics.

Leaning his head back against the cold, dank stone wall, Kimimaro closed his eyes and was transported to a place with lots of sand, sunshine, and friendship.

* * *

"_Uhh….Temari-nee-chan," Kankuro said nervously, "I am so sorry I mechanized your favorite doll! Ahhh! Not the big fan! HEEEELLLLLPPPPPP!"_

_Sea foam green eyes that seemed to peer into the innermost parts of Kimimaro's soul, twinkled in anticipation as the boys waited for Kankuro-nii-chan to trip over the wire they had placed in the hallway._

"_GAH!" came the sound of Kankuro's downfall._

"_GOTCHA!" Temari yelled triumphantly as she pounced on her brother._

* * *

Kimimaro's thoughts were interrupted by the door opening. "_It's not time for my meal yet."_ he thought apprehensively. The small room flooded with light and Kimimaro had to shield his eyes from the intensity of the brightness.

He heard the key to his personal hell rattle in the lock just before the door was opened harshly. "Get in there!" the hooded man snarled as he flung another small body into Kimimaro's living space, locking the door to the cage once the body was fully inside.

The little body beside Kimimaro sobbed as it backed away from the last Kaguya in fear. The small form pressed itself against the furthest wall and sobbed uncontrollably, shoulders shaking in fear as Kimimaro slowly rose to approach.

"STAY BACK!" the child screamed, "GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Kimimaro knelt down on his knees a few feet away from the inconsolable chibi. Remembering all the ways the Suna siblings had helped him, the young bone-user was determined to help this little one. Looking at the boy with all the gentleness he could muster he said, "Hi! My name is Kimimaro. I'd really like to know your name."

The small form in front of him quieted down and looked at Kimimaro with anger and sadness. "H-How do I….hic…H-how do I know you're not one of T-THEM?" the chibi finally spit out brokenly.

Kimimaro smiled softly, and gave the little one his best closed-eye smile- Gaara-nii-chan always said that 'Kashi-tou-san's closed-eye smile helped him- and cocked his head to the side as he replied, "Well, I most likely would not choose to be in a cage if I could leave anytime, ne?"

The little one lowered his small hands from his puffy red eyes and looked down in defeat. Tears welling up in his eyes, the chibi launched himself at Kimimaro and fisted his hands in Kimimaro's small shirt. "I want….I want 'Getsu-nii-sama!" he bawled, while Kimimaro tried to take up the role of 'comforter'.

* * *

Kakashi and Jiraiya had been slowly traveling through Fire country, often stopping for several days in the same village or staying several days at the same campsite- trying to not arouse suspicion from ANBU ROOT plants.

Itachi, Sasuke, and Naruto had used the slow journey to talk, think, and- of course- train.

The last few days they had been staying just outside a merchant village under the protection of Konoha, trying to figure out what to get 'Kashi-tou-san for his birthday…which was tomorrow!

"Seriously, baka, if you suggest getting him RAMEN one more time I'm gonna…."

"You're gonna WHAT, teme!" Naruto shot back, slamming his hands on the table.

"Now, now, Sasuke-kun, " Itachi tried to stem the impending argument, "Ramen was as good of an idea as any seeing how none of us seem to know what to get him."

Sasuke glared and Naruto crossed his arms and huffed indignantly. Itachi sighed and tried to drink his tea in peace.

"I wish Uncle Ryouta was still alive." Naruto mumbled, eyes downcast. Itachi glances at Naruto, then Sasuke, then looked down into his tea cup.

Sasuke stopped glaring at the spot on the wall and looked at his miserable playmate. It was true, Ryouta had been working on 'Kashi-tou-san's present when they had all separated. Then, right after he had gotten to Ame….he had been killed. Now they were missing an old guy annnnd a present. Sasuke huffed and started glaring at the poor spot on the wall again.

Finally deciding that the air stunk of enough depression Itachi put down his tea cup, put down some money and called for his brothers to follow him. "Foolish little brothers, follow me." he called languidly over his shoulder, enjoying the spluttering of the two kids as they got up to follow him.

* * *

Jiraiya and Kakashi were, for once not 'r_esearching_', but moving from stall to stall picking up supplies and listening for any gossip they could pick up. Gossip was not to be underestimated, mind you.

Kakashi had taken the north part of the shopping district while Jiraiya had taken the west side. They were doing their best to seem like tourists that were 'just passing through,' but the merchants were tighter-lipped than one would expect of civilians.

Kakashi did his best to keep his unease out of his expression, but something was _wrong_ with this place. Nodding politely at the shopkeeper's story about his daughter- or something- Kakashi effortlessly extracted himself from the shopping district with his wares, making the trek back to the hotel room he shared with Naruto, troubled.

Putting away the items he had bought, Kakashi made tea and sat down at the small table beside the open window with a map. Making sure to keep the map covered with a local newspaper, in case anyone cared to look inside, the Copy ninja peered at the piece of paper before him.

"Hmmm….so," Kakashi murmured to himself as he stared at the map before him. "We came straight across from the border of Ame and Kusa, which puts us half way between the border of Fire country and Konoha."

The tea kettle whistled shrilly and the trouble teenage ninja went through the motions of making himself tea before sitting back down. "So we are as far away from Konoha as we are from the borders of Ame, who is our ally; Kusa, who switches back and forth between being an ally and being overrun with Iwa- who are definitely NOT our allies; Taki, who we are friendly with, but not formally allied with; Oto, who has been ravaged with war for as long as I can remember; Yu, who we are also friendly with, but not formally allied with."

Mulling over all that he had heard- and all the things he hadn't heard- over the past few days, Kakashi had a bad feeling about the situation. _"I need to tell the Sandaime that we need to send teams out to infiltrate and gather intel. There's something going on and I have a feeling Danzou, Madara, and/or Orochimaru are involved. Whatever it is, it can't be good."_

Across town in his own hotel, Jiraiya was also staring at a piece of paper, wondering what to do. He had received intelligence from one of his spies in the city proper, and the information was disturbing. Apparently a new leader had appeared in Oto, quashing the civil war and establishing the Village Hidden in the Sound. What disturbed Jiraiya, though, was the battle reports. The more he read, the bigger the knot in his stomach became.

This fighting style, this reasoning- was exactly like Orochimaru. _"What are you up to, Orochimaru?"_ Jiraiya thought as he turned his attention back to the reports with a heavy heart, not looking forward to the conversation he was going to have to have with Sarutobi-sensei.

* * *

Itachi led the boys out of town a ways before finding a suitable clearing and ordering the two chibi to sit and _be quiet_.

Hearing the serious tone to Itachi's voice, both boys looked at each other uneasily and sat down obediently. Itachi glanced at their surroundings once more and sighed. "Alright, otouto, here's the thing. 'Kashi-tou-san's birthday is _tomorrow_ and we need to get him something. Now we know that he and Ero-sennin are gathering real- yes, not just peeping, Naruto- information on what happened in Ame, among other things."

Itachi closed his eyes and prayed he was doing the right thing, otherwise Jiraiya and Kakashi were going to KILL him- probably his mother and Shisui, too. Looking at the two boys Itachi took the plunge, "I think we should gather information for them." Itachi held his breath, waiting.

Sasuke and Naruto looked at each other from the corner of their eyes. Naruto finally looked at Itachi suspiciously, "Are you suuuuuure they're not just peeping, nii-san?"

Itachi nearly face-planted in shock. Did they think that he, Itachi, was exploiting them….for the _perverts_?

"Yeah, aniki, how do we know that they haven't corrupted you too!" Sasuke hollered at his brother, pointing an accusing finger at the elder Uchiha's shocked face.

Looking at the two boys who were sitting on the ground, looking at him suspiciously, Itachi broke out into giggles. Yes- seriously- _giggles_. Then full-blown laughter that caused him to lay down on the forest floor, rolling in mirth.

Now the two chibi knew Itachi was messing with them! Both boys hopped up and proceeded to tickle the older Uchiha mercilessly. Eventually Itachi composed himself to perform a substitution and lean against a tree, holding his stomach and look at the two disgruntled but happy chibi staring up at him.

"You tried to swindle us!" Naruto accused playfully, Sasuke nodding in agreement.

Itachi finally managed to catch his breath and shook his head in disagreement, "No, they really are gathering infor-"

"LIAR!" both boys yelled.

"Let me finish, brats!" Itachi growled good-naturedly. "As I was SAYING, they really _**are **_gathering information that is vital not only to us, but also Konoha. The man who supported the Ame leader's assassination attempt on Yahiko is from Konoha."

"What? Nii-san, you mean that someone from Konoha tried to kill Yahiko-nii-san?" Naruto stood up quickly with wide eyes.

Seeing things about to spiral out of control, Itachi regretted opening his mouth, but pressed on, "Yes, Naruto, BUT that man was not acting on orders from Sandaime-sama, I am sure of it! Something was off, I could feel it- and so could 'Kashi-tou-can and Ero-sennin- which is whyyyy we have been traveling slowly."

At the confused looks on both boys faces, Itachi gestured for the boys to sit near him and continued. "If there is a plot within Konoha, and we don't know how far it extends we could unintentionally tip off the conspirators and lose the lead we have on them, making whatever they are plotting even more dangerous."

Sasuke's eyes lit up in recognition of what his brother was say, "I get it! If we rush back to the village, someone involved with the plot could easily intercept us, attack us, or plant false information to keep the plot from being discovered."

Seeing where Sasuke was going with this, Naruto took up where Sasuke left off, "Yeah! We could get ambushed or get innocent people killed if the people behind the plot feel threatened."

Itachi nodded his head approvingly at his little brothers, "Exactly. That is why we must proceed with caution. It is also why now would be a good time to test your skills and get 'Kashi-tou-san a birthday present."

Seeing that Itachi wasn't trying to get them to do slave-labor while the two perverts were off 'peeping' somewhere, they were excited! Looking at each other in anticipation, both boys turned back to Itachi, "Count us in! Now, what's the plan?"

* * *

Naruto, _henged into a girl with a __**pink**__ dress_, was seriously beginning to reconsider the sanity of this plan. The least that Itachi could have done was let him wear an _orange_ dress! Even Sasuke-teme got to wear **blue**! Beside Naruto, Sasuke- _henged into a girl_- was also beginning to question his beloved aniki's wisdom.

Itachi, henged into a man in his early twenties, guided the two 'girls' down the street to the clothing district. He had warned the boys about how to behave, but now, watching the boys tug nervously at their _dresses_, the young jonin was beginning to doubt his own plan.

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

Itachi smiled at his younger brothers, trying to think of a….delicate?….way of putting his plan. Clearing his throat, Itachi began, "Ok, basically- and if you two interrupt me before I am finished I will tell Shizune that you both have developed a deep, passionate love for books!- the easiest way to gather gossip is by listening to women babble. The plan is to infiltrate the clothier area of the shopping district and once we are there, we should be able to gather intel that 'Kashi-tou-san and Ero-sennin would never be able to get."

Both boys mulled over his words and saw the merit of them- after all women sure did talk- A LOT- especially while shopping. While Naruto had only ever observed this phenomenon, Sasuke and Itachi could both remember 'shopping trips' with their mother. They preferred to call them 'trips of dooooom', but the result remains.

Seeing that the boys were on board with that part of the plan, Itachi took a deep breath and got to the _tricky_ part. "The way we are going to infiltrate the district is by…." Both boys leaned forward like some super-secret ANBU Black Ops secret was about to be revealed to their young minds. Itachi fought to hide a grimace, "Having you both henge into girls-"

Both boy's jaws hit the ground and MAJOR protesting was about to start, before Itachi's glare brought his earlier threat back to their minds and their mouths snapped shut, but their eyes were rebelling.

"As I was _saying_," Itachi continued, pleased with his forethought about the 'threat', "having you both henge into cute little girls," cue eye-twitches from both boys, "and I will henge into a man old enough to be your father, but young enough for them to fawn over."

Seeing the looks on both their faces, Itachi sighed, "Look, we're going to get a lot more out of them if they are comfortable. This way I can leave you two at a store," cue horrified expressions that were so pitiful Itachi wanted to laugh- again-, "and mingle with the men waiting for their wives and children. This will give us excellent coverage."

Still seeing their resistance, Itachi decided to play dirty. All is fair in siblings and missions, right? Hanging his head slightly, Itachi sighed, "But maybe you're not ready for something this advanced."

Hearing this caused the boy's eyes to widen comically. Furiously shaking their heads, they both sprang to their feet and looked at Itachi for permission to speak. Had they ever mentioned how much they HATED bookwork when they could be training?

After letting them squirm for a few moments, Itachi nodded towards the boys, letting them know it was ok to speak. Naruto and Sasuke tripped over each other's words and glared heatedly at each other, but the meaning was the same.

"The dobe may not be ready-"

"Cram it, teme! You're the one who isn't ready!"

"As I was _saying_, the blonde baka may be _scared_-"

"Look, guy-with-a-chicken's-ass-for-hair, I am sooo-"

"At least I don't look like a frickin' SUNBEAM, baka!"

"Yeah, well, you're just jealous of my awesomeness, chicken ass!"

"Whatever, moving target! You're jealous of MY awesomeness!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"ENOUGH!" Itachi yelled, effectively shutting down the argument-that-never-ends. "Now, _girls_, you're going to have to learn to act like _proper young ladies_ for this to work." Seeing the look on Itachi's face, both boys gulped, argument forgotten.

"_What have we gotten ourselves into?"_ they both thought.

**END FLASHBACK**

* * *

Walking into a modest-sized store, both 'girls' put on their best 'excited' faces.

"Look, Saichi-chan!" The flaxen-haired girl tugged on her friend's hand excitedly, "They have an _orange_ skirt over there!"

"Of course you would _immediately_ find an orange skirt Natsuki-chan", the girl with the blue-tinged hair replied mildly.

The store owner squealed in delight after Itachi aka 'Taro' told the woman what they were looking for- an outfit for a friend's graduation- dutifully noting the desired of her customer, she told 'Taro-kun' that she would take care of his 'little angels' and for him to go 'mingle with the men while we women work our magic.'

'Taro' walked over and hugged his 'little angels' one more time, ignoring the slightly panicked expressions they were wearing about the way the woman was looking at them. "_Behave!_" Itachi whispered fiercely, as he knelt to hug them both.

Both 'girls' plastered on big smiles and chorused, "Bye chi-chi!" before turning to the (scary!) store owner and (gulp!) her two apprentices.

"Well, now!" the lady said cheerfully, "Let the fun begin!"

Outwardly _smiling_ and _cheering_ like….._**little girls**_…..both both boys seriously began to question Itachi's mental state.

How did Itachi-nii-san know so much about how girls acted, anyways?

* * *

Reviews make me smile!


	30. Shopping with Itachi, Part II

"_**Oooh**_! Natsuki-chan! This cream skirt and light pink top will be soooo _**cute**_ on you!" Asa- the assistant that was helping the chibi blonde _girl_- cooed excitedly, dragging the hyper chibi into the changing room. Asa and the apprentice that was helping 'Saichi-chan,' Kata, had felt sorry for the girls after their first attempt to put on an outfit was _unsuccessful_- and, after coming to the logical conclusion that the girls had no mother, since their father had brought them- proceeded to not only pick out the clothes fro the girls, but also help them put the clothing on properly.

The store owner, Maemi, stood back and observed the girls _parading_ in their outfits. "Ah! Saichi-chan! That red top is much too bright! It overwhelms your pretty eyes!" the woman said importantly, snapping her manicured nails, " Kata-chan, go to the back and get a cream skirt like the one Asa-chan got for Natsuki-chan and pair it with a navy blue top."

"Yes, Maemi-sensei!" Kata replied, quickly moving to the back of the store to retrieve the items.

'Saichi-chan' merely stared at _her_ reflection in the mirror and came to the disturbing conclusion that _she_ actually looked ….._cute_ in a few of the despicable outfits. Sasuke decided then and there- making sure to keep twirling around in front of the mirror like a (_gag!_) princess, acting _happy_- that he would need to purge this experience out of his head. Preferably by sparring with a certain blonde…or maybe teaming up with the dobe to get back at Itachi for coming up with this dumb ass plan. _"Itachi had better be getting some damn good information out there because all we have been getting are fashion tips! Although, 'Kashi-tou-san could use a few…."_

"Asa-chan! Natsuki-chan! What is taking so long, dears? Do I need to come in there?" Maemi's voice called from beside Sasuke to the two still in the other dressing room.

Naruto- aka 'Natsuki'- was doing _her_ best to look _excited_ at the prospect of trying on another cute outfit. "_If 'Kashi-tou-san doesn't think that this is the greatest birthday present ever, Itachi-nii-san is sooooo gonna pay for this! He'd better guard his shampoo bottle! Yeah, that's it! We'll make his hair the same color of pink as this hideous shirt that I have to 'try' on!"_ 'Natsuki' compliantly allowed Asa to chatter on about this, that, and whatever while the store assistant dressed the chibi blonde.

"We're ready, Maemi-sensei!" Asa called cheerfully, opening the door and shoving the _grinning_ blonde outside the haven the room provided.

'Natsuki' flounced over to 'Saichi' and twirled excitedly in front of the mirror. "Ne, ne! Saichi-cham! How do I look?" the blonde asked excitedly with a blinding smile.

Sasuke- once again- swalloed his pride and replied, "You look great, Natsuki-chan!" Grabbing the blonde's hand in his own, the two _girls_ danced excitedly for the benefit of this audience.

Maemi beamed at Asa, "You did a wonderful job, Asa-chan!" the store owner told her assistant.

Asa blushed at her master's praise, "T-thank you, Maemi-sensei!"

Kata returned with the items her master had requested, "Come, Saichi-chan!" she called cheerfully, pulling the dark-haired girl into their changing room, "Let's get you changed!" Sasuke forced himself to act excited as the door to the changing room once again cut him off from the only other sane person here, aka Naruto the dobe who actually looked decent in pink.

"_I am soooo never letting him live down the fact that he actually managed to look good in pink. Wait! Then I would have to admit that I thought the dobe looked good….but as a girl…so…I mean….ack! Forget it! Damn Itachi would turn it around on me!"_ Sasuke thought irritably, not noticing the scowl he allowed on his face.

Kata stopped for a moment, "Saichi-chan, is everything ok?" the older girl asked worriedly, dropping down to her knees to be eye-level with the child.

Sasuke mentally kicked himself, "_Baka!"_ 'Saichi' allowed a smile to appear on her face, "I'm fine, Kata-san! I was just cold for a moment, is all. Fall always sneaks up on me"

The older girl brightened, "Ah! You should have told me!" she told the _little girl_ as Kata resumed her task, "Maemi-sensei and Asa-chan grew up here so the cold bothers them for a while after the end of summer." Kata readjusted the skirt properly and continued quietly, "I grew up in a much colder place, so the cold doesn't really bother me all that much."

Sasuke perked up at this piece of information, "Where did you grow up, Kata-san?" _she_ whispered to the older girl.

Kata stopped suddenly and looked up fearfully, gripping the girl lightly on her arms, "You can't tell anyone that!" she whispered frantically.

'Saichi' tilted _her_ head to the side, and blinked slowly, trying _her_ best to pull off the cute, innocent act. "Why, Kata-san?" the chibi whispered as softly as possible.

"Are you girls ready?" Maemi called impatiently.

Giving Saichi a pleading look, Kata called out to her master, "Yes, Maemi-sensei!" as the older girl tied the decorative belt in place and practically shoved Saichi out the door of the dressing room.

Sasuke knew if he tried to stop he would fall on his face and draw suspicion, so he used the momentum of the shove and ran to Naruto, throwing his arms around the other _girl_ and jumping around in little circles in front of the mirrors. "Ne, Natsuki-chan! How do I look?" the dark haired _girl_ asked as they came to a stop in front of the full-length mirrors.

"You look _cuuuuuute_ Saichi-chaaaaaan!" the blonde called merrily, catching the split-second glare the raven sent him.

"Kata-chan!" Maemi called to the assistant.

"H-Hai, Maemi-sensei?" the girl called from inside the dressing room.

Maemi rolled her eyes and tapped her foot impatiently, "Come here, silly girl!"

Kata quickly exited the room and walked over to her master, fearing the worst.

Maemi eyes her assistant critically. She had found Kata wandering the streets six years ago, and had taken the girl in as an apprentice. While the girl had always been a hard worker, her sense of fashion was always too simple for the people who came into the store. Maemi had never been able to gather where exactly the girl was from, but she supposed it didn't matter, because what Kata lacked in fashion skill she made up for in making fabric and tailoring. "Kata-chan," she said after a heavy moment, "I must say, this is one of the best outfits you've put together." she said with a warm smile at her apprentice, Asa also smiling at her fellow apprentice.

Kata hung her head in shame, "But, Maemi-sensei, you told me what to get…."

Maemi waved her hand languidly, "Nonsense! All I told you to get was a cream skirt and a navy blue top, you selected the shades perfectly and accurately guessed the sizes."

Kata blushed at her master's praise but said nothing else. Asa walked over to her fellow apprentice and their master, striking up a conversation about the differences between silk and satin.

Sasuke took the opportunity to grab Naruto's hand and skip over to the shoe section. As they began to look through all the shoes- why do girls wear half of these, Sasuke wondered, they look uncomfortable!- Sasuke leaned down and whispered in Naruto's ear, "The assistant who helped me isn't from the Land of Fire."

Naruto looked up at Sasuke sharply, prepared to ask more, when the ladies showed up. Shoving a bright smile on _her_ face, 'Natsuki' grabbed the nearest pair of blue sandals and shoved them at 'Saichi', "You should try these, Saichi-chan!" 'Natsuki' called loudly, rubbing the back of her neck with one hand.

"Ooooh! Those are adorable, Natsuki-chan!" Maemi called approvingly, gesturing for 'Saichi' to try them on.

'Saichi' sat down obediently and allowed Kata to put the sandals on _her_, sighing inside. "_When will this end?_" the young ninja-in-training thought miserably.

* * *

'Taro' stood with the other men who were waiting for their wives, daughters, or sisters to come out of the many stores, trying to be as nonchalant as possible. Even though it was little more than an awning with picnic-like tables and barrels with fires to keep them warm, it was infinitely preferable to going inside the stores with the women. True it was _**greatly**_ amusing to watch his little _sisters_ through the store window. Itachi was watching when the _girls_ were shoved into the dressing room for the first time. When they came out, though, Itachi nearly dropped his henge.

'Natsuki' was in an orange shirt, but had it on backwards, with the tan skirt on sideways, and caught in _her _underwear on the left side. Saichi was not in much better shape, with _her_ peach shirt on inside out and her blue skirt not only above _her_ waistline by about four inches, but also completely backwards. Both _girls_ looked exasperated and hopelessly confused. Itachi couldn't take it and turned around quickly, his eyes burning from repressed laughter, and his cheeks slightly coloring from embarrassment and amusement.

The men near to Itachi, fortunately, misread his reactions and looked at him in sympathy.

"W're is th'r mum?" one of the men asked, gaining a few looks for his lack of tact.

'Taro' looked down at the fire, allowing sadness to take over, "She died when they were small."

The men, now that the ice was broken, took it as invitation to open up a conversation. "H'w?" the same man asked, warming his hands over the fire.

'Taro' took a breath, preparing to tell the 'tragic' tale, "You remember when Kusa was occupied by Iwa, about five years ago?" he asked, seeing the men nodding in grim remembrance. "We were traveling near the border for a festival, my late wife loved festivals, and we got caught in a fight between shin obi. I think that Toki-san was killed by a Konoha shinobi, but Konoha insisted that she was killed by an Iwa weapon."

One of them snorted derisively, "As if Konoha would admit fault! The Hokage is so old and senile he doesn't know what goes on anymore! It is a wonder that the Fire Daimyo doesn't demand his replacement!"

Another man joined the conversation, "But the Yellow Flash was killed about six years ago, maybe they haven't found a suitable replacement?"

A third man interjected, "I heard a rumor that a man named Danzou is aiming for the high seat, but keeps getting shot down."

Itachi had quietly activated the tiny recorder hidden in the fabric of his coat when the conversation started, and was glad they were actually going to get some information for 'Kashi-tou-san. "If he's that powerful why doesn't he just take it?" 'Taro' asked.

Absently Itachi observed the men around him. The man who originally spoke looked like a middle-aged farmer, which explained his speech pattern. The next man who had spoken was another middle aged man, but looked more like a banker or indoor worker. The man after him looked about the same age as 'Taro' with broad shoulders and calloused hands, making Itachi assume he was some sort of tradesman. The last man who had spoken looked like he was in his mid-thirties, but there was something off about him- beside him mentioning Danzou. Itachi knew he had to be careful.

The third man sneered at 'Taro', "You don't know much about Konoha do you, kid?"

'Taro' shrugged and looked down into the fire again, "It didn't seem that stupid in my head."

The man grinned, "You're alright, kid. Where are you from?"

'Taro' raised an eyebrow, but replied, "A small village about a day's journey from the next village over."

The man looked amused, "Paranoid much?" the 'Danzou' guy asked.

'Taro' stiffened and replied tersely, "My wife was murdered, I am the only thing my two little girls have left. Do you truly blame me?"

The man looked at 'Taro' sharply, his gaze boring deep into the other. Itachi, for his part, drew on all the feelings of protectiveness he could and channeled them into his stare, fighting to keep his sharingan from manifesting. Eventually the other man chuckled, "You definitely got guts kid." he said, slapping 'Taro' on the back. "Why don't you come to this little meeting we're going to have later? I think you'd like it."

'Taro' narrowed his eyes, "What kind of meeting are you talking about? And why would I go anywhere with someone whose name I do not even know?" he asked suspiciously, all the other men stared at the 'Danzou' commenter as well.

The man smiled wickedly, "First off, my name is Shigure, and the meeting is for those who think that Konoha should raise the Land of Fire to the level of greatness it deserves- a superpower."

The men around Itachi looked at Shigure distrusting, but intrigued.

Itachi was grateful to his father for a moment- for all the practice the young man had gotten in hiding disgust and intense dislike, 'Taro' meanwhile just looked at the man cautiously, "Say that I were to go, where is this meeting being held?"

Shigure's grin only got bigger, "The fourth cave left of the waterfall, there will be a young woman there, the password is 'action without vision is a nightmare'. The meeting starts two hours after sunset, be at least ten minutes early." With one last smirk at 'Taro' the man turned and disappeared into the crowd. Itachi looked through the window to see Sasuke grab Naruto's hand and dash towards the shoe section. "_Time to move. I have to tell 'Kashi-tou-san and Jiraiya-sama about this, no matter what!"_

Nodding his head to his companions, who were chatting about the mysterious Shigure, he left to meet up with the _girls_.

* * *

Itachi walked through the door just as the assistants were putting the items in a bag. "Ah! Taro-kun!" Maemi called, "just in time! Your total comes to ¥10,700."

'Taro' pulled out the money and handed it to the woman as 'Saichi' and 'Natsuki' came over to him with their bags. Kneeling down to their eye level he smiled gently, "Did you girls have fun?" he asked.

The girls nodded their heads vigorously, with bright smiles on their face. Itachi interpreted that as, "_Get us out of here!"_

'Taro' hugged his girls and rurned them back towards the woman and her assistants, "Now, girls, what did you forget?" he chided.

The girls looked at each other and then their eyes widened in recognition. Bowing slightly, they chorused, "Thank you for all your help."

Maemi smiled at the little girls, they were adorable and polite! "It was our pleasure, please come again soon!"

'Taro' smiled and inclined his head as he led the girls outside the shop, inquiring about their experience. 'Saichi' and 'Natsuki' regaled their father with animated tales until they were far away from the shopping district. Acting like they were taking a shortcut, they ducked into an alleyway. Carefully observing the area, Itachi gave Naruto the signal and the boys dropped their hanges.

Naruto crossed his fingers in a familiar gesture, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" and three Naruto's appeared, "Henge no Jutsu!" and then they were 'Taro', 'Saichi', and 'Natsuki'. Stepping back into the shadows, the boys watched the clones take the shortcut and disappear into the forrest. Grabbing the plain brown bags they had brought, they concealed the bags from the clothier inside. Once the clones dispersed and Naruto told them that no one had seen the duplicates, the three came out of the shadows and proceeded to the hotel they were staying at with 'Kashi-tou-san.

Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

Next year they were getting the crazy _old_ pervert a Pakkun plushie and ramen.

* * *

Kakashi and Jiraiya looked down at Itachi and the boys in shock. They hadn't heard about the 'being girls' part yet, just that they went information gathering and what 'Shigure' had told Itachi. Looking at the position of the sun, both the older shinobi knew that this meeting was just the thing they had been trying to find.

Kakashi gave the boys a hard stare, "How **exactly** did you come by this information?" he demanded, crossing his arms and staring down at them. Itachi, Sasuke, and Naruto all figited from their places on the floor, suddenly finding the carpet **very** interesting. "Well?" Kakashi demanded impatiently.

Naruto looked up and was trapped in his father-figure's disapproving stare. Sighing, he finally broke down, "Well, you see…..it went something like this…."

Itachi twitched.

Sasuke bowed his head and bid his dignity goodbye.

* * *

An hour later, Kakashi and Jiraiya were rolling around on the floor in complete agony….from laughing so hard.

Naruto huffed indignantly. "Oi! At least we got some good information, perverts!"

Kakashi wiped a tear away from his visible eyes, "Suuuure, Natsuki-chaaaaaan!" he sing-songed.

Naruto growled and pounced on Kakashi, who merely caught him and ruffled the blonde's hair. Trying to compose himself, he bit down the chuckles, and faced the red-faced bundle of energy. Sasuke had begun wrestling with Itachi about the same time that Naruto had launched himself at Itachi….because _Itachi_ was laughing at them too! Eventually, Kakashi managed to get them to quiet down, though he did have to send Jiraiya out because he kept antagonizing the two chibi.

"Alright you guys, that's enough, settle down!" Kakashi called, and the two youngest sat down in a huff, and Itachi gracefully planted himself on the floor beside them. "Itachi-kun, that was a _**very risky**_, but well thought-out plan, well done." Kakashi said to the oldest Uchiha, who blushed a little at his sempai's praise.

"Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun, while that was extremely risky and I'm not really happy about you two going into dangerous territory without me," the boys looked down in disappointment, "I am very proud of the work you guys did! You guys helped gather very useful information and you were not discovered." Kakashi bent down to the boy's level and ruffled their hair, "Good job you two!" he said, before enveloping them into a hug.

Sasuke reached out and yanked Itachi into the hug too.

* * *

Suigetsu was sleeping, or at least resting, with his head in Kimimaro's lap. After he had calmed down and told the other boy how he ended up being hurled into the same cell as the bone user, Kimimaro had simply shaken his head and offered his lap so his cell mate could get some sleep. Wondering if his brother was still alive, and hoping that they hadn't caught his mother caused the boy to sleep fitfully, tossing and turning most of the time.

Kimimaro stayed still as Suigetsu once again started tossing and turning. Looking out the solitary window, Kimimaro noted that the creepy guy was at least an hour late with their ….food….if you could call the slop that. Sighing softly, Kimimaro let his thoughts drift back to the Suna siblings.

Suddenly a blast rocked the building they were being held in. Suigetsu bolted off the bone user's lap and stared up at the window. Sounds of fighting roared outside and a few stray weapons flew into the small cell. The boys heard the sound of running feet in the hallway and braced themselves against the darkest corner of the cell.

The door to the room flew open and the creepy guy ran up the cell, fumbling with his keys. The idiot's hands were shaking so badly that he dropped the keys on the ground, but before he could retrieve them a voice called out behind him, "Stop right there!"

The creepy guy moved opposite of the door to engage the cloaked person and Kimimaro saw his chance. Dashing forward he grabbed the keys, attracting the attention of the creepy guy, whose opponent used the opportunity to end his life. The opponent walked towards the cell and Kimimaro and Suigetsu flattened themselves against the wall. Picking up the keys, the person in the cloak unlocked the door, and grabbed both boys before they could protest. "Shunshin no Jutsu!" the figure called, hitting pressure points in both boy's necks to render them unconscious.

* * *

Reviews make me smile! I thank all my reviewers! I tried to reply to all of you, but I kept getting weird errors, then I forgot who I had replied to and who I hadn't! But please know that every review makes me squeal in excitement!

Valkyrie Vamp, I hope you enjoyed the plushie comment!


	31. Breaking Dawn

Kakashi and Jiraiya had decided that the best way to attend the meeting was for Itachi to show them the henge he used, and for Jiraiya to go to the meeting, that way Kakashi and Itachi would be with the chibi in case they needed to split town quickly. Leaving a toad (frog! The boys yelled) summon with the others, Jiraiya summoned three more and sent them towards the meeting place, to keep an eye on what would happen and let Kakashi know if he needed to get the heck out of town.

Shortly before sunset Jiraiya sent a clone towards his hotel, and himself- henged as 'Taro'- slowly made his way towards the meeting place.

Back in the hotel, the two youngest were worried for Ero-sennin and the two jonin were on guard. Seeing that both 'Kashi-tou-san and Itachi-nii-san were preoccupied, the boys looked at one another and grinned mischievously. Running up and hugging their protectors, both boys announced they were tired and retreated to their section of the room. Pulling the clothing out of the bags, both boys made sure to keep their actions of out site as they slowly- but cheerfully!- began dissecting the material.

'Kashi-tou-san always needed more masks, right?

* * *

Jiraiya, henged as 'Taro' slowly made his way towards the assigned meeting place. By the position of the sun he was about a half hour early. Ah, well, might as well get this over with. He was a beautiful young woman with luscious curves near the entrace to one of the caves, apparently picking flowers. Contrary to popular belief, Jiraiya could control himself around women when he absolutely had to. Even if he didn't really want to.

Looking up at him the young beauty smiled charmingly, and said in a sweet, melodic voice, "Vision without action is a daydream."

"Action without vision is a nightmare." 'Taro' replied immediately.

Smiling brightly at the 'young man' the woman pressed her palm to the side of the cave and released a small burst of chakra, causing the edge to slide back and reveal a stairwell. "You may enter." she told 'Taro'.

Nodding to the attractive woman, Jiraiya proceeded down the stairs, _"Why do clandestine meeting always have a cliché' creepy stairwell? Why not a water slide or maybe a trampoline?" _the toad sannin grumbled to himself_._ Reaching the bottom he made his way into the dimly lit- _"Again, cliché!"_- room to see nearly fifty other people in the small room. _"Annnnd, the cliché' wins again! I'm so glad that all these people are sane and freshly bathed!"_ the sannin thought dourly, making sure to keep a look of apprehension on his face.

One of the men Itachi had described earlier approached him, "Ah, Taro-san! Come over here with us! We almost thought you wouldn't come!" 'Taro' merely nodded and followed the man over to a small table, where he was seated next to someone he was almost certain was 'Shigure'.

Before he could ask any questions there was a commotion near the raised platform, at the back of the room- presumably where the speaker would be. Jiraiya nearly dropped his henge (Again! Focus Jiraiya!) when he saw Shimura Danzou- in the flesh!- appear on the small platform. Raising his hands for silence, the crowd immediately hushed.

"Tonight," the ROOT commander began, "we gather out of love for our land, and our way of life!"

The room erupted in cheers.

Once again calling for silence, he continued, "Too long has the Land of Fire settled for peace, letting our enemies live to fight another day!"

"Here, here!" someone called.

"I am Shimura Danzou, as most of you already know, and I am here to outline a plan that would make Konoha the strongest ninja village in the world, and the Land of Fire the only great nation! Gentlemen, we must prepare for war! The Hokage has long been too soft and is now to senile to see what is at our door, but I swear that when he is disposed of, and the new Hokage is chosen- and I have it on good authority, from the highest council that it will be me- that we will surge forth and take what is rightfully ours!"

The room erupted in cheers and praises- and Jiraiya, as 'Taro'- cheered as well, but not without a sinking feeling in his gut. _"Sarutobi-sensei, I am so sorry, but I am going to have to break your heart one more time."_

* * *

Jiraiya stayed for the rest of the meeting but managed to give his toad a message to report to Kakashi. The more Jiraiya heard and saw, the more knotted his stomach became.

This was not good.

* * *

Dawn broke over the fifteenth day of September in the Land of Water. A dreary day, with thick cloud cover, and the lingering promise of rain did little to dampen the spirits of the people in the encampment. Kimimaro blearily opened his eyes, frantically searching for Suigetsu. His eyes landing on the smaller boy who was laying on a bedroll not far from him, Kimimaro relaxed slightly, trying to assess his surroundings.

The flap to their tent opened and a young woman entered, carrying a tray of food. She smiled at the awake Kimimaro, who was eyeing her and the food warily. "Good morning!" she called cheerfully to the boy with a smile, setting the tray of food in front of him, "You seem to be alright after that love tap I gave you last night."

"You're the one who killed creepy guy?" Kimimaro asked suspiciously…..damn that food looked good.

The woman laughed, "Yes, that was me." she sat down across from Kimimaro, "What's your name, little one?"

Kimimaro still eyed her suspiciously. She wore a Kiri headband, and his clan had staged an uprising against the Village Hidden in the Mist. Slowly thinking through his options, with that damn woman staring at him the whole time, Kimimaro slowly answered, "My name is Kimimaro."

The woman eyed him critically, "You have a kekkei genkai, don't you, little one?"

Kimimaro started violently, even he knew about the bloody mist and their ruthless purges of those who possessed a blood inheritance limit. Kimimaro's mind began whirling than 'Kuro-nii-chan's feet when 'Mari-nee-chan was chasing him with her fan. "Uhm…uh.."

The (crazy) lady laughed softly, "It's alright, little one, I have two kekkei genkai."

Kimimaro eyed the woman cautiously, once again weighing his options. On the one hand she would not have gone through the trouble of being nice and bringing him food if she was just going to kill him. On the other hand, it might be a trap to get him to admit his unique abilities. Seeing no other alternative, Kimimaro spoke, "I don't know who you are or why I should trust you, but I do have a kekkei genkai- Shikotsu Myaku, the inheritance of the Kaguya Clan, I am the last surviving member."

The woman smiled at him brightly, "I am Terumii Mei, and my kekkei genkai allows me to use both Futton and Youton- basically, an acidic mist and a dissolving style of lava. That's the basic explanation anyways."

"Why are you being so nice, and how did you know where we were?" Kimimaro demanded looking down- directly at the tray of food. Kimimaro scowled. Damn that food looked good.

She chuckled, "Eat, and I will tell you how we ended up meeting."

Kimimaro obediently picked up the food and started eating, as politely as he could. A difficult task, considering he was literally starving.

The lady chuckled, "We received intelligence that a large number of people were being held captive by an S-Rank nuke nin, so we came to investigate. You two were not the only ones we found, but you were the only two on that end of the compound. The others are being looked at by medical shinobi, determining the extent of their injuries. The others will most likely be released into the care of a refugee village, but I would like you two to come with me."

Kimimaro stopped eating and looked up suspiciously, "Why would keep us?"

Mei smiled at the boy- he had potential, "Because there is no safer place for two young blood limit inheritors than with the Godaime Mizukage, ne? Let's change the way the Land of Water sees us, what do you say, Kimi-chan?"

* * *

Dawn broke on the fifteenth day of September in the Land of Fire much differently. Kakashi and Itachi were carrying the two young chibi on their backs as they raced towards Konoha, worry pressing them to move as fast as possible. Jiraiya had sent word through a toad to take a sealed message to the Sandaime Hokage, which is why they were racing back to their home village at top speed.

The mild, albeit slightly chilly, fall day was going to be beautiful. Just a few assorted white clouds in a wide expanse of blue, with bright sunshine, and chirping birds did nothing to assuage the two shinobi's unrest. They knew the boys would be awake soon, so they pushed themselves faster.

"_We must warn the Sandaime!"_ they thought desperately.

* * *

The morning of the fifteenth day of September broke over the former Uzu no Kuni in a brilliant display of reds, amber, and gold. Ayumi and Konan shared a small house while Nagato with Yahiko shared a small house beside them. They had arrived in Whirlpool a few weeks ago. Surprisingly, the village was in fairly decent condition- just abandoned. Nagato stretched and thought back to the conversation that had rocked his view of everything.

* * *

FLASHBACK

"Would you tell me about your parents, dear?" Ayumi had asked softly.

Nagato felt a lump form in his throat at the mention of his parents. He remembered his beautiful mother and his kind father. He tried to squelch the rage he felt when he remembered their death at the hands of the foolish Konoha shinobi. Not realizing that his look of rage had manifested on his face, and that he was clenching his hand tightly, he missed the look of concern that came over Ayumi's face.

"It's alright, dear." she said softly, "You don't have to tell me anything you do-"

"NO!" Nagato cut her off severely, "I-I mean…I'd like to tell you about them, Ayumi-kaa-san….if you would let me." he finished almost shyly.

Ayumi smiled encouragingly at the young man and Tiny reached up to lazily lick his master's hand. Nagato took a deep breath and began his tale, "My parents and I lived peacefully in Ame until the war came. My parents and I were trapped in our home when the shinobi came. One night we were huddled in a corner of our living room, shivering with cold. We heard voices in the kitchen, talking about the little food we had left. We just wanted to get out of the war zone, make it to a refugee camp."

Nagato's eyes started to mist, but he stamped down the emotion viciously, "We were sneaking past the kitchen- we had almost made it to the front door!- when I accidentally bumped a piece of furniture, knocking a bowl off. It fell to the floor and shattered, alerting the ninja to our presence. All I remember is my father charging the two shinobi, distracting one of them;, my mother jumping in front of me and being killed by the other shinobi; my father screaming at me to get out, and him finally being struck down by the first shinobi."

Ayumi stayed silent, waiting for the end of this tragic tale, "Looking back, I can remember the horror on the Konoha shin obi's faces when they realized that they had killed civilians. At the time I was so hurt, angry, enraged, sad, broken….whatever you could imagine- I only saw my parents dead in front of me. I don't remember what happened after that, only that the ninja were dead and I somehow killed them. Now I know that it was the Rinnegan, but at the time it was all a blur." Nagato looked away, lost in his thoughts.

Ayumi rose and knelt in front of the young man. Wrapping him in a hug, she let him know that she did not pity him but she did feel pain for his loss. Ayumi drew a deep breath, "Nagato-kun, do you remember your mother's name?"

Nagato looked up at the Uzumaki woman, and began to realize what she was asking, "You think my mother was from Uzu no Kuni? Do you have any idea how many people have red hair?" he cried, upset that the woman had asked about his painful past just to see if she had anymore family. "Don't you think that if my mother was a ninja she would have defended us!"

Ayumi smiled gently, "Nagato-kun, not all Uzumaki were ninja, and the fact that you have the Rinnegan lends itself to the theory that you are of Uzumaki blood." Nagato tried to remove the woman's hands from his shoulders, only for her to tighten her grip, "Nagato. Stop." she commanded.

Nagato complied, but glared at her for all he was worth.

"Nagato-kun, when Uzu no Kuni was in her final days, we ran in every direction, so it is quite possible that your mother was an Uzumaki. Also, **only** if you are of Uzumaki blood can I teach you the secrets to our sealing techniques and our other prized jutsu. I am asking not only for my benefit- but yours as well. If you are a child of my clan, there is much that I need to teach you."

Nagato slowly nodded his head, the woman's words slowly making sense. Swallowing painfully, he quietly said his mother's name, "Kaiya. My father's name was Hideaki."

Ayumi's heart stopped for a moment. Surely it couldn't be the Kaiya she knew. "Nagato, did your mother ever tell you anything over and over, like a phrase or saying?" she asked, looking at the boy sharply.

Nagato started, "Well, kaa-chan had a way of making me look at things differently. Whenever I would ask why it was important she would always say, 'The reverse side also has a reverse side', but it never really made sense to me."

Ayumi smiled widely, "Nagato-kun, that was the favorite saying of Uzu no Kuni's sealing specialization unit. They were masters of seals and chakra, but not necessarily ninja."

Ayumi's smile faded, "Right before we fled the village, someone betrayed the sealing unit- forcibly sealing their chakra. I always thought that it was a traitor among the sealers, but it may well have been an enemy. At any rate, the Kaiya I knew was the apprentice of the highest seal master in the village. I am now fairly certain that she was your mother. However there is one final test."

Nagato looked at the woman who had become like a mother figure to him and wasn't sure what to believe. "_This whole experience is insane."_ he decided. Chalking this whole experience up to a crazy dream, he was getting ready to pinch himself when he felt a prick. Looking up quickly he saw that Ayumi had pricked his finger and was drawing his blood into a paper seal.

Quickly bandaging the minor wound, Ayumi watched the blood coat the seal, flare bright red, and crumble into dust. Looking at Nagato with a soft smile, she said, "Well, it seems we are related, Nagato-kun."

Nagato's eyes widened in shock, "If you had the seal the whole time, why didn't you just use it?" he asked angrily, "Why did you make me dredge up my past if it wasn't necessary?"

"Yeah, really, okaa-san! What's with the roundabout!" Yahiko yelled from inside his tent.

"Yahiko, _**shut up**_!" Konan hissed.

"No!" the boy retuned, stomping out of his tent and towering over his mother, "Why make him relieve his most painful memory if you had the answer all along?"

Konan, deciding it couldn't hurt, also left he tent and padded over to Yahiko's side.

Ayumi smiled at the trio. "Because I wanted him to let his anger out."

The three looked at her confused, "What does that have to do with anything?" Yahiko asked, angry for his friend and confused at his mother.

"I wanted to know his story, that is all. Even if he ended up not being related to you and I, Yahiko-kun, I wanted to know what that haunting pain was that he carries around with him." Ayumi told them quietly.

The Ame trio quietly pondered her words, before long Yahiko walked over and ruffled the hair of the still-sitting Nagato, "So we're from the same clan, eh, ya brooding teme?"

Nagato playfully glared up at his friend, "I believe you are mistaking me for a certain shrimp-sized Uchiha." he retorted.

As the boys bantered back and forth, Ayumi walked over to the blue-haired girl of the trio, who looked sad. Wrapping her arms around the origami princess, Ayumi whispered in her ear, "You may not be related to them by blood, but if I had ever been blessed with a girl, I would have wanted her to be like you, Konan-chan."

Ayumi's only answer was a smile and two arms returning the embrace.

END FLASHBACK

* * *

"_Since then we have become even ore like a family,"_ the red-haired boy mused, "_we decided to stay here for a while, learning more about the Uzumaki sealing arts and training ourselves. Yahiko was impatient to get back to Ame at first, but we managed to convince him that this was a worthy endeavor. Konan has learned how to incorporate seals into her unique paper style, and I'm picking up this sealing stuff pretty quickly- it just takes a lot of practice. The history archives have been helpful, too. It's amazing how much stuff Uzu no Kuni managed to seal away for future generations while being under siege."_

Nagato looked at the sunrise and felt like maybe, just maybe, they could help Jiraiya-sensei change the world.

* * *

The dawn on the fifteenth of September was greeted much differently in the Land of Wind. While the day promised to be just like any other day in the desert- hot, dry, and unforgiving- one man in particular was definitely not enjoying his morning news.

Orochimaru was seething, apparently someone had discovered his base in the Land of Water and raided it- taking everything! Captive, experiments, and all his research data! He had, thankfully, not had much research data there- but it was important data, nonetheless! Orochimaru needed that research to perfect his immortality jutsu!

Glancing at the position of the sun, Orochimaru knew he needed to get back to the Akatsuki base before Fugaku-kun threw too much of a fit. Really, the man was such a pain to have as a partner, but at least he left Orochimaru to his own devices most of the time. Donning his Akatsuki cloak, Orochimaru left his room and headed out of the Village Hidden in the Sand.

He didn't understand why Madara-sama didn't just capture the annoying Ichibi and his pathetically unstable jinchuuriki now and be done with it. But, that man's plans were not Orochimaru's concern. He was only using the organization, after all.

* * *

ELSEWHERE IN SUNAGAKURE

Temari blearily opened her eyes and noted that sunlight was just beginning to drift through her window. "Owww!" she groaned, Kankuro-baka and Gaara hadn't held back in training the day before. Baki-sensei had taken to standing on the sidelines and making suggestions instead of aparring with them directly.

Temari wondered if Kimi-chan was ok, wherever he was. She prayed fervently that he somehow managed to get away from the bastard Orochimaru. The former Konoha shinobi had been visiting her father a lot lately, and it was getting annoying acting like she didn't want to run away screaming.

Making her way to the kitchen to make breakfast for her boys, Temari wished once more for Kimimaro's safety. Temari's cooking had improved drastically over the past few months- Baki-sensei's wife was an amazing, patient woman!- and she wanted the young bone user's opinions on a few new dishes.

Grabbing things out of the cabinets, and making notes of what she would need to pick up from the market later, Temari softly hummed to herself.

"_I wonder what Orochimaru-teme would say if I told him that Fluffy Puppy already made sure to seal Gaara against his body-takeover technique."_ Temari giggled to herself as she imagined the Snake user's reaction.

* * *

Far away from the Land of Wind, dawn broke over the Village Hidden in the Clouds. The fall sunrise was pretty, and the day promised to be chilly, but that did not concern one blonde kunoichi. Ni'i Yugito looked out of her apartment window and gazed at the village below. Yugito had just passed her eighteenth birthday, and was nearing the end of her fourth year as a Kumo jonin. The young jinchuuriki looked towards the Land of Fire, wondering if her little sister was alright.

Yugito had been imbued with the Nibi when she was very young, and she knew that the village was waiting to see if she could control the power of the bijuu. Yugito also knew that they watched her younger sister, and if Yugito should make a major misstep, the village would rip the Nibi from her and force it into the belly of her little sister.

Yugito tightened her hands unconsciously, remembering that she really had almost lost complete control once when she was eleven. Her little sister had been five at the time, and Yugito knew that by the time she had reestablished control over the Nibi, that the elders had already convened to discuss pulling the Nibi from Yugito and forcing the demon cat into her sister.

Yugito had done the only thing she could think of to save her sister. Yugito's eyes filled with tears as she recalled giving her sister a sedative, and putting a goodbye letter in the bag the older girl had packed. Yugito had snuck her sister onto a merchant cart, and watched it leave Kumo- and her- behind.

No one knew what happened to her sister- and some believe Yugito had killed the girl to keep the Nibi to herself. Yugito didn't care what they thought- they never really thought all that much of her anyways, so she was used to the apprehension and the glares. Yugito glanced at the position of the sun again knowing that she had to stop reminiscing and get her butt moving or she would be late.

"_Wherever you ended up, Kata-chan, I hope you are safe and warm."_

* * *

Reviews make me happy and feed my plot bunnies!


	32. Winning and Losing

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed!**

**Seriously, I laugh like a fangirl every time I get one.**

**Also,I have great news!**

**Valkyrie Vamp is my new beta!**

**She will be going though the old chapters soon, and this chapter is not yet beta'd, but I think that her skills will help this story be a much more enjoyable experience to read!**

**(V.V. - I hope so! XD)**

**So, thank you all, and get some tissues.**

**This chapter is rough.**

**Beta'd version posted 4/18/11**

* * *

**First Week of September**

**Tea Country**

Tsunade prided herself on her instincts- even if they abandoned her in her gambling endeavours. Therefore, when she started suddenly winning every bet she placed and every game she played, she knew something terrible was going to happen.

Shizune walked beside her almost-aunt and sensei, carrying the winnings from the last gambling house and silently rejoicing. '_If we keep this up, Tsunade-sama will be able to pay off her debts in no time_!' TonTon, apparently sensing the dark-haired poison-user's thoughts, looked up and offered her an "oink" of agreement.

Tsunade, still lost in her own thoughts, failed to realize that her speed was rapidly increasing and was therefore surprised when Shizune called out to her, "Tsunade-sama! Please let me catch up!"

Turning with a scowl on her deceptively young-looking face, Tsunade crossed her arms and waited for her young assistant. When Shizune finally caught up, the Slug Princess fixed her with a serious look, "Shizune, as soon as we pay off my debts in this town, we are leaving."

The assistant started at her master with her jaw unhinged, "Tsunade-sama, are you serious? You're winning and -"

"I know I'm on a winning streak!" Tsunade snapped at her young apprentice, hastily explaining upon seeing the downcast look on the other woman's face. "Shizune, something bad always happens when I win consistently - Nawaki's death, Dan's death, Minato and Kushina's deaths - they all happened after streaks like this one!"

Shizune looked at her master and her eyes widened in realization, "Since you gave him your grandfather's necklace you want to make sure Naruto-chan is alright, don't you, Tsunade-sama?"

Not trusting in her voice to speak calmly, Tsunade merely nodded and turned on her heel, "Let's get this over with. The sooner I pay my debts, the sooner we can leave."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama!" Shizune replied, hurrying after her master. "But how are we going to find them? Jiraiya-sama's last message said that instead of going to the Land of Wind, like he originally planned, they were heading back towards Konoha slowly."

"Exactly." the Honourable Granddaughter of the Shodai Hokage replied, "We are heading for Konoha." Checking the position of the sun, she made a decision. "Pack for a mission, Shizune, we're travelling at ninja speeds, not our usual way."

Her eyes hardening at the thought of something happening to her precious people - namely Sasuke-chan and Naruto-chan - Shizune scooped up TonTon, and walked with a sense of urgency and determination in her step, "Hai! Tsunade-sama!"

* * *

**Present time (September 15th) **

**Mid-Morning**

The two former teammates raced towards their home village at top speed, unaware of each other. Jiraiya with his group came from the north, while Tsunade and her apprentice came from the south. Both sannin desperately trying to reach their destination as quickly as possible.

Itachi had agreed to let 'Kashi-tou-san carry Sasuke, while Jiraiya-sama carried Naruto. Both boys had at first argued about being carried like kids, but seeing the grim faces of the older shinobi, they looked at each other, agreeing without words, and quietly accepted the necessity of helping the adults to hurry.

Both boys kept casting glances at each other from atop the backs they were riding on, but they had barely spoken, as if they were afraid their words would slow down the entire group. They were both being quite brave, Itachi noticed, for being in such a dire situation. Itachi shook his head to clear such thoughts - he had to focus if they were going to make it in time to save the Sandaime Hokage.

* * *

Shimura Danzou sat in his office, meticulously going over 'The Plan' one last time. The unexpected demise of the Uchiha Clan had accelerated his plans, but he had also been forced to rethink them as well. The commander of the 'Ne' forces had originally intended to incite the Uchiha Clan to rebellion by filling their heads with half truths about certain events and letting that fabled and foolish 'Uchiha Pride' do the rest. Then when the Uchiha Clan staged their coup d'état Danzou's Ne forces would use the confusion to place Danzou as the Godaime Hokage.

From there on out, 'The Plan' was simple.

Allow the remaining Uchiha places of power to keep them satisfied, and use them to help keep the village population as well as the ninja population in check. Then he, as Godaime Hokage, would declare the Fourth Great Shinobi War. At that point the Daimyo would have no choice but to obey the Hokage and be little more than a puppet. Once he conquered the other nations, he would rule with an iron fist and ensure that the peace they achieved was lasting.

Now, however, it was much more simple. He had procured the body of an Iwa ninja and was going to use the body to shift suspicion from himself to Iwa. Danzou had replaced Sarutobi's usual ANBU Black Ops guards with two of his Ne operatives.

Looking once more at the parchment in front of him, Danzou's lips twitched into a small grin. After today the Land of Fire would be recognized for what it was - the strongest. Laying his hand on his bandaged arm he merely regretted that he had been unable to find the body of Uchiha Shisui. That boy's doujutsu had been incredible. Also, Sarutobi's refusal to hand over the Kyuubi jinchuuriki for Danzou to train was irritating, but served as another example of the Sandaime's growing list of mistakes.

Danzou stopped that line of thought, '_When I gain control, I will recall Hatake Kakashi and his companions. Hatake and Uchiha Itachi will be placed on a long-term deep cover mission, and then there will be no one left to stand between me and the young Uzumaki._'

Heading out to take one last walk around the village, Danzou continued to make mental notes of everything he planned to change in the morning. All that was between him and the Hokage's seat would be resolved tonight.

Tonight, when Danzou went to the Hokage's office to give his quarterly report to the Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen would die.

* * *

"_Kuso_!" Tsunade cursed out loud as she saw the sun shifting further west. "We have to go faster, Shizune!"

Shizune, from her master's side, nodded, feeling again that strange sense of urgency. "Hai! Tsunade-sama!"

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke were growing increasingly agitated as the group drew closer to Konoha. '_Something's wrong!'_ they both thought.

Seeing not only Itachi-nii-san, but also 'Kashi-tou-san and Ero-sennin in this state was disturbing enough, but the feeling of dread that resided deep in their bellies was something that they absolutely could not ignore. Naruto looked back at Sasuke, since Jiraiya was point and just a few feet ahead of 'Kashi-tou-san, and saw that Sasuke was looking back at him too.

Naruto had only seen that look in Sasuke's eyes once - back when they had found out about the Uchiha Massacre. That dull, haunted look was something the blonde never wanted to see on his brother's face again. It reminded Naruto of the way he felt when 'Kashi-tou-san had been away.

Whatever had happened to make the older members of the tachi so upset had to be really, really bad.

Naruto closed his eyes and prayed that everything would be ok.

* * *

Sasuke watched Naruto close his eyes and wondered if the blonde was napping or praying. Sasuke knew that something was wrong, he just didn't know what. He had never seen the older members of the tachi look so…panicked. Even his aniki was looking disturbed, and that did not happen often…or ever, in fact.

Sasuke hid his face in the soft material of 'Kashi-tou-san's jonin vest. Breathing in the calming aroma of his father figure, (who he figured must have some awesome deodorant or something to smell this good after running so long) Sasuke tried to calm himself down.

'_Whatever it is, it's nothing that Itachi-nii-san, 'Kashi-tou-san, and Ero-sennin can't handle.'_ he told himself over and over.

* * *

"Almost there!" Tsunade called to her companion, racing through the familiar forest whilst slightly flaring her chakra so the ANBU Black Ops would let her pass without stalling her with questions.

Jiraiya felt the familiar pulse of Tsunade's chakra and immediately took off in the direction he felt it originate from, Kakashi and Itachi hot on his heels.

Naruto was oblivious as to why they had changed course, but when he looked back at Sasuke, he saw the dark-haired boy mouthed, "_Tsu-na-de-baa-chan_" Nodding at his friend to show he understood, Naruto fell back into his own thoughts. '_What's Tsunade-baa-chan doing here_?'

Tsunade felt the small flare of Jiraiya's chakra before Shizune had time to vocalize it. Turning towards the point of origin, Tsunade and Shizune raced to meet up with the Gama Sage.

It took less than ten minutes for the two groups to find each other, and when Tsunade saw the two motionless boys on the backs of her former teammate and Hatake Kakashi, she felt her heart shatter and time stop.

Seeing the look on Tsunade's face, Jiraiya and Kakashi knew they had to act fast, but were saved by the chibis themselves.

"Tsunade-baa-chan!" Naruto called, wriggling around enough for Jiraiya to put him down. No sooner had he landed on the ground, his legs gave out. "Owww." he complained, but that was all he managed to say before he was scooped up into a bone-crushing, asset-smothering hug.

"Ba...ach…an…a...ir…" he gasped comically.

Tsunade let him go and stepped back, immediately smothering his dark haired brother that had just been set down by Kakashi.

Itachi watched, highly amused, as his foolish little brother struggled weakly against the blonde-haired woman. He was so caught up in his amusement of Sasuke's predicament, that he didn't register the hug machine coming towards _him_.

Too late.

Tsunade snatched the older Uchiha up in yet another bone-crushing, asset-smothering hug ,happy that the kid was still alive.

Itachi, for his part, responded to the hug on instinct. Sure, his grandmother figure had hugged him a few times before, but not usually this…aggressively. Itachi just knew that Sasuke and Naruto weren't going to let him live this down. Ah, well.

Once greeting - and hugs - had been exchanged, Tsunade fixed her teammate with a 'tell-me-everything-right-this-instant' glare.

Jiraiya promptly spilled his guts.

* * *

Evening began to set on the Land of Fire. People bustled around the vendors to grab last-minute items before the stalls closed for the evening. Children were called home, ninja shift changes occurred, and Sarutobi Hiruzen sat in his office, awaiting the mandatory quarterly report on the ANBU Black Ops 'Ne' division.

Sarutobi sighed as he took off his reading glasses. Why did ruling a village have to involve so much paperwork? Maybe he ought to delegate some of this, but with the mood of the village lately there were not many people the aging Hokage was willing to trust with such power.

Sighing once more, Sarutobi walked back around his desk and sat down. He knew he needed a successor, but after Minato's untimely death Sarutobi was not ready to name another. What if the Godaime Hokage died too? Could he live with knowing that yet another one of his successors died instead of him? What if he had waited to retire? Would Minato still be alive? Would Kushina have survived?

Would Naruto have his parents to guide him?

"Damn you, _**'**__what_ _if_'s!" the old man growled with his head in his hands.

Hearing a knock on his door, the Hokage called for his old friend to enter. Smiling up at Danzou, the Hokage asked, "So, how is your division faring, old friend?"

"Very well." Danzou replied, looking the Hokage in the eye before setting down the thick file on the Hokage's desk.

"Ah, that is good. Very good." the Sandaime replied, lighting his pipe and opening the folder to scan the contents. Glancing up at Danzou, Sarutobi gestured for the man to take a seat. "It seems your network in Iwagakure has grown." the Hokage mentioned conversationally.

"Yes," Danzou replied. "We have managed to double our spies in Iwa, however we lost most of our contacts in Kiri."

"Hmmm, I see." the Hokage replied, turning another page.

"Do you mind turning on the lamp behind me, Danzou? These old eyes of mine find it hard to read in near-darkness."

"Of course, Hokage-sama." the 'Ne' commander replied, walking behind the Hokage to turn on the lamp as requested. Just as the light flickered on, the two ANBU Black Ops agents dropped down behind Danzou. Giving them the signal, they dashed forward and bound the Sandaime, turning him to face their leader.

Taken by surprise, Sarutobi knew that he would be unable to cut through the chakra ropes that bound him and the seals that had been added made him unable to speak. Glaring at his old friend the Sandaime Hokage watched as Danzou removed a kunai that had been hidden in his sleeve. Sarutobi's eyes widened. '_That's a standard issue Iwa weapon_!'

Advancing towards the bound Kage, Danzou spoke. "Sarutobi Hiruzen, tonight you will die, and your death by my hand will ensure the beginning of the Fourth Great Shinobi War, and the rise of the Land of Fire!" With that said, Danzou raised the weapon, prepared to strike the aging Hokage down.

Sarutobi watched helplessly as the weapon descended upon him, poised straight and true to strike him through the heart and left lung - a well-known Iwa signature. Unwillingly, tears gathered in the Sandaime's eyes, but did not fall. '_Danzou, my old friend, what have you become_?'

* * *

Uchiha Fugaku sat gazing at the stars from atop the roof of the current Akatsuki stronghold. His head had been filled with strange thoughts lately, and his dreams were strange. Almost like the past of someone else, but at the same time he was almost sure the memories were his own. Sighing, he recalled his latest dream.

**START DREAM**

_Seventeen year old Fugaku wandered around the Uchiha compound. It was the middle of the day and he had nothing better to do. Sighing, the teenager resigned himself to heading back home and enduring another boring lesson from his political tutor. Sometimes being the heir was such a pain._

_Trudging back towards his home Fugaku caught sight of a young boy being bullied. Noticing that the bullies were from the Uchiha clan, Fugaku walked closer to the group intending on getting answers on why a group of near-genin were picking on a toddler. _

_Before he could get all the way over there, though, the bullies were thoroughly decimated by a girl who looked to be about thirteen._

"_Cha!" the girl said as she took out the last bully. Turning around to face the young boy, she crouched down and smiled kindly. "Are you ok?" she asked softly. The child nodded vigorously before the chibi threw itself at the young girl and sobbed into her shirt._

"_There, there," she soothed as she rubbed small circle in the boy's back, "Let's go find your parents, ok?" she told the toddler as she stood up and walked in the direction of the Uchiha heir. Seeing him leaning against the wall, she levelled him with a glare. "Why didn't you help him?" she spat angrily._

_Fugaku raised an eyebrow - not many people dared speak to him in such a manner. "I will have you know, girl," he said condescendingly, "that I am the heir to the mighty Uchiha clan."_

_The girl rolled her eyes and snorted derisively, "Yeah, I know. I'm from the Uchiha clan too, moron!"_

_Fugaku narrowed his eyes at the impudent little twerp, "Now listen here, girl-"_

"_Just SHUT UP!" the girl shouted angrily, shifting the boy around in her arms, "Just 'cause you're the heir, doesn't mean you have to be a total ass! In fact, you should have kicked those bullies' asses from the start! Soon you're gonna be in charge of an entire clan, and you can't even protect one kid!"_

_Fugaku was taken aback, that certainly wasn't in his tutor's curriculum. Fugaku heard the girl huff one more time and walk away, talking soothingly to the little boy she held in her arms. Fugaku stood there in shock, wondering what the heck had just happened when he suddenly realized the girl was long gone. Running in the direction she had left in, he saw that the girl had already found the mother of the little boy._

"_Oh, thank you so much!" the boy's mother was saying, "I turned my back for just a moment and he was gone!"_

_The boy's rescuer just smiled at the lady, who was checking her baby over for injuries, "It's alright. What kind of Uchiha would I be if I hadn't helped? We are in charge of the Konoha Police Force, after all."_

_Smiling once more at the little girl, the lady gathered up her bag of groceries and her young son. "Well, thank you for bringing Rai-chan back to me. What is your name, so I may thank your parents properly?"_

_The girl just smiled brightly and shook her head, "That's not necessary, but my name is Mikoto. Uchiha Mikoto."_

**END DREAM**

Fugaku shook his head clear of the confusing thoughts and looking up at the sky once more. '_The longer I stay away from Madara-sama, the clearer the dreams become. But why are they happening at all? The clan got what it deserved, I regret nothing, so what is going on? What has happened to me? Am I really who I think I am?'_

Feeling a hand upon his shoulder, Fugaku looked up into the single eye of Uchiha Madara. "Are you alright, Fugaku-kun?" the ancient Uchiha asked.

Feeling the confusing thoughts silence as he looked at the sharingan of his elder, Fugaku nodded, "Hai, Madara-sama."

* * *

**Reviews keep my muse alive!**


	33. Entrusting the Future

**Hello, everyone!**

**This is the unbeta'd version, the beta'd version will probably be up tommorow.**

**I really ****hope you guys like this chapter!**

* * *

Mikoto watched from the kitchen window as Sasuke and Naruto coaxed Shisui into playing a game of hide-and-seek with them and some of the other children. Sasuke had actually reacted well to seeing the other kids, even though he knew that he could not tell them that he knew them or that they were from the same clan. With cheerful Naruto along for the ride, it took a ridiculously short amount of time for the 'Takahashi' kids to come around and play with the two boys.

Mikoto glanced at the sky and saw the sun beginning to set, "Alright, kids! You have to go inside in thirty minutes, so be ready!" she called. Mikoto chuckled at the petulant looks on their faces before turning her gaze back to the task of making dinner.

"Do you mind if I bring Shikamaru tomorrow, Miko-chan? He is staying with the Akimichi family tonight- he's close friends with Chouji-kun." Nara Yoshino asked from beside her.

Mikoto smiled at her friend, "Not at all! You could bring Chouki-kun, too. I think that he and Naruto would get along splendidly, don't you?"

Yoshino grinned, "I could see them ganging up on Shikamaru and Sasuke-kun."

Mikoto laughed, "I think that would be quite entertaining!"

* * *

As he lowered the weapon, Danzou knew there was something he was missing. Something that he should notice. He expected to catch Hiruzen off-guard, but to subdue him, the _Sandaime Hokage_, so easily? Unease gripped his gut but before he could make a decision, ninja smoke erupted from the Hokage's chair and it looked as if the room shimmered for the slightest instant. Danzou immediately reacted, falling into a defensive stance. "I knew it wouldn't be that easy, Hiruzen!" he spoke coldly to the smoke.

Imagine Danzou's distress, however, when the smoke cleared only to reveal a very awake Nara Shikaku and a ferociously glaring Yamanaka Inoichi flanking a positively evil looking Tsunade. The latter of whom was sitting in the desk chair, wearing the Hokage garb as if it were made for her.

"What is the meaning of this!" Danzou snarled.

Tsunade's smirk widened, if that were even possible, "We are witnessing you commit treason, Shimura-san. And I would refrain from trying any jutsu if I were you, the Hokage's defense seals have been activated, in case you hadn't noticed. You remember them from the Second Shinobi War, don't you? When activated against an enemy the seals target the enemy's chakra network and if any activity occurs immediately the seals attack the enemy's chakra network and destroy it completely."

Danzou's lip curled in disgust as he formulated a plan, "Only the Hokage himself can activate the defense seals, and they immediately alert the advisors! If you had activated the seals, than the advisors would be on their way, which would only be favorable for me! Now where is Sarutobi, silly little girl."

Tsunade's sneer nearly matched Danzou's own, but for different reasons, "Yes, the Hokage's defense seals can only be activated by the Hokage and the seals immediately alert the advisors. Would you like to know why your friends Utatane-san and Mitokado-san are not coming to your rescue?"

Danzou narrowed his eyes, "Watch your tone, little girl, I will rule this village by morning and I would hate to have to kill you for your insolence."

Skikaku and Inoichi tensed at Tsunade's side, readying for an attack from the Ne commander. Tsunade's eyes flashed dangerously, "Remember to who you speak, Shimura-san."

Danzou nearly rolled his eyes, "Tsunade-hime, aren't you a little old to be hanging on to your grandfather and granduncle's status?"

Tsunade's face split into a wide grin, "Who said I was hanging onto _their_ status?"

Danzou replied evenly, "Sannin or not, you do not outrank me, little girl."

Tsunade's grin never faltered, "Actually, Shimura-san, I **do** outrank you, seeing as how I have been chosen as the Godaime Hokage."

Danzou's lip curled in disgust, "Little girl, to be chosen as Hokage you must have the approval of the elders and Daimyo-sama himself. Your little fantasies won't help you here. Now go back to your anatomy books and-"

Tsunade stood, her sudden action flinging her chair rather violently into the poor desk. Walking past Skikaku and Inoichi the Senju Princess drew up her shoulders and held her head high while she stared down the older man, "Listen, and listen well, Shimura-san, because I am only going to tell you this once. I. Am. The. Godaime. Hokage."

"Impossible!" Danzou roared, all his hard work, all his ambition, all his tools- wasted! He moved quicker than the eye could see, aiming for the self-proclaimed Godaime Hokage's back. "_I will end this now_!" he screamed in his mind as he drove his kunai into the blonde's back.

Or at least, Danzou would have had the Nara behind him not locked on to his shadow. "Kage Mane no Jutsu (Shadow Imitation Technique)" Shikaku muttered moving the man away from Tsunade.

Tsunade directed a sharp glance to Shikaku and the man sighed, "I don't know what is under those bandages, but I would rather not find out the hard way, Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade nodded at Shikaku approvingly and the Nara proceeded to begin to unwrap the beginnings of the bandages on Danzou's arm. Before Shikaku could reveal anything Danzou broke the jutsu and moved to attack.

"Shit!" Shikaku cursed.

Danzou landed a shallow strike on the shadow user and moved quickly to finish the bothersome Nara only to hear a soft pop before, "Bubun Baika no Jutsu (Partial Multi-Size Technique)!"

"_The Akimichi! Where the fuck did he come from_?" Danzou spat in his mind as he jumped away from the Nara to avoid the arm. "_This is getting complicated, and the back up team should have arrived by now!"_

Chouza, _**who had been henged as the lamp the entire time**_, fell back into a familiar stance. "We will not allow you to drag Konohagakure no Sato into the dregs of war for your own personal ambitions!"

Danzou sneered, "And who do you think you are, exactly, Akimichi?"

Inoichi replied for Chouza, his voice coated with ice, "We are the heads of the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clans. We are loyal to Konohagakure no Sato, the Hokage, and our long-time allies- the Sarutobi clan. There are many reason why you will not succeed today, Shimura-san, but the foremost is that you have discarded your Will of Fire whereas ours still burns brightly and we will use it to secure not only our future, but also our children's future!"

Nara Shikaku narrowed his eyes at his old friend's words, "While I may not have Inoichi's gift for words, the truth in his statement is absolute." Nodding to his teammates, the Nara clan head smirked, "You are probably wondering where your reinforcements are, right, Shimura-san?"

Danzou's face gave away nothing, but the pit of dread in his stomach grew. Even as powerful as he was, the Nara were renowned for their strategies.

Turning his gaze lazily towards his Akimichi teammate Shikaku continued, "Do you think the others have flushed out the Ne agents yet, Chouza?:

Danzou allowed no emotion to overtake his face, but he inwardly smirked, "_Whoever they are they have no chance against my Ne agents_." Clearing his voice Danzou fixed Shikaku with a scathing look, "Do not underestimate me, Nara!" Moving quickly Danzou moved towards the window, expecting for it to be sealed.

It wasn't.

Slipping through the window easily he took to the streets, "_They bluffed! And I almost fell for it!_" Pushing chakra into his legs Danzou headed towards the underground Ne base to assess the situation and launch a counter attack. _"I will still be Hokage by sunrise._"

Reaching the entryway to the Ne base Danzou made quick work of the seals and headed towards his office. Danzou smirked as he felt the chakra signatures of the Hokage's advisors within, this was perfect. Danzou entered his office quickly, shutting the door behind him.

Turning to face the two advisors, Danzou was immediately on guard when he saw the looks on their faces. "What?" he asked sharply, his face and body language betraying nothing.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura looked at each other and then away, ashamed. "Danzou-kun," Koharu began hesitantly, "we as the advisors have come to a decision."

Danzou narrowed his eyes, "What kind of decision?" he bit out sharply.

Homura looked Danzou in the eye, "Danzou, this has progressed long enough. This uprising of yours that you are planning- executing- will cost the lives of many of our shinobi and even some of our civilians. We cannot allow this coup d'é·tat to occur."

"That is very sound advice, old friends." said a new voice from the other side of the closed office door.

Danzou spun to face the door and fixed it with an intense glare, "I will kill you, Hiruzen, you pathetic fool!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen had seen and heard enough. He had not wanted to believe his two former students and their respective parties when they had arrived in his office spouting their warnings about Danzou, but now the aging Hokage had no choice but to face this head-on. "_Though I suppose to a certain extent it is my fault for allowing it to continue this long."_

Hiruzen nodded to his ANBU Black Ops and they broke down the door. Itachi and Kakashi rushed in and immediately attacked Danzou, trying to force him into submission, while the ANBU Black Ops quickly set up a barrier to prevent the Ne commander from escaping.

Danzou knew better than to underestimate his young opponents. Kakashi already had his sharingan uncovered, so this was no drill. Danzou blocked and dodged trying to make it to the secret escape route when he glanced at Itachi's left eye for just a split second.

"Tsukuyomi (God of the Moon Technique)." Itachi said as he activated the powerful genjutsu.

Danzou found himself standing inside what seemed to be a dull gray world with a blood red sun. Itachi stood in front of the Ne commander, smirking. "You think you have beaten me, boy?" Danzou snarled as he withdrew his left arm from its resting place, revealing the golden seal casing.

Itachi caused the gray to encase the arm, preventing Danzou from using it. "This is the world of the Tsukuyomi, I control everything- time, space, even reality."

Danzou looked at the boy who dared think himself better than his elder and glared. "You are powerful, Itachi-kun, why would you assist that fool Hiruzen?"

Itachi merely looked at Danzou, and instantly the landscape blurred and a new scene appeared. Danzou looked upon the scene in horror.

"This is your worst nightmare, isn't it Shimura-san?" Itachi's cold voice rang out from behind him. "The remembrance of the day Sarutobi Hiruzen slipped beyond your reach and gained what you sought- the title of Hokage."

Danzou, unable to move, unable to close his eyes, watched helplessly as the scene unfolded in front of him.

The Nidaime Hokage, Senju Tobirama-sama, Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Akimichi Torifu, Uchiha Kagami, and Shimura Danzou sat in a clearing, catching their breath for a brief moment.

Tobirama-sama was crouched in front of a tree, his eyes closed in concentration. "We're surrounded….there's twenty of them. From the way they are tracking us, I'd say they're Kumogakure….master bounty hunters."

"There's only seven of us, including Nidaime-sama…there's no way…" said a young Mitokado Homura.

Utatane Koharu spoke quickly, "They don't know our exact location yet. We should lie in wait for them and take them by surprise, giving us the chance to escape."

The Danzou who commanded Ne struggled harder to get away from the scene, but to no avail. He couldn't avert his eyes or even blink them, he was helpless to watch this play out in front of him.

"That won't work….someone will have to lure them away." a young Shimura Danzou said to the kunoichi of the group.

Akimichi Torifu spoke next, "Whoever they are….they won't survive."

Danzou could hear the thoughts of his younger self ring loud in his old ears, even as no sound came from the group in front of him. "_**I am a ninja and I will die in battle like a ninja! Sarutobi…what are you thinking right now? Are you willing to make that sacrifice….?"**_ The older Danzou saw his younger self glance down at the hand resting on his left knee, trembling. "_**I will. Say it! SAY IT! I….. What's the matter? Why can't I say I'll do it…?"**_

"I'll do it." said a steady voice from the left of the young Danzou.

"Sarutobi…." murmured Torifu.

"Hiruzen…you…." started the young Homura.

Once again the elder Danzou saw his younger self glace at his hand, "_**The trembling stopped…"**_

"Heh! Don't worry!" the young Hiruzen was saying to his teammate, "I'm the best of all of us….I won't die!"

Young Danzou never heard Hiruzen's words, he was still looking at his hand, "_**Damn it! I'm weak! …Part of me is relieved!"**_

Hiruzen touching him on the shoulder barely registered, "Take care of the others, Danzou! I know you'll…."

"Shut up!" Danzou yelled, throwing Hiruzen's hand off of his shoulder "I was about to raise my hand! Don't act like you're so great! I'll be the decoy!"

Choosing to look at the ground, young Danzou missed the shocked looks on all their faces, and the hurt in Hiruzen's eyes, "Danzou…" he whispered.

"My father and grandfather died as ninjas in battle! Self-sacrifice is a ninja's duty!" the younger Danzou was saying, but the older Danzou saw the look on Tobirama-sama's face.

"I will be the decoy." stated the Nidaime Hokage, "You are the bright young flames who must protect the village."

"You can't! You're the Hokage!" young Danzou protested, "There's no one greater than you in the village!"

The older Danzou saw the Nidaime's eyes narrow slightly and look st his younger self sharply, "Danzou, you and Saru have always been rivals in everything." the young Danzou looked at the ground again, angry at himself for being weak, angry at the Hokage for pointing it out to everyone. The Nidaime continued, "But what we need right now is _unity_. Don't bring your personal squabbles into this."

Senju Tobirama looked at his entire squad before returning his gaze to Danzou and Hiruzen, "It's true, I was slow with my decision." The man sighed and continued, "First you must look within yourself and know yourself without losing your calm. Right now you will just bring danger upon your friends."

Allowing his lips to quirk into the fainest of smiles, the Nidaime continued, "At any rate…Danzou….Saru….There's no need to be so hasty at your age. One day the time will come…..Just stay alive….until then." The Nidaime stood, "Saru." he said commandingly, gaining the undivided attention of everyone, not just Hiruzen. "You must protect those who have faith in you and who love the village, and train up those to whom you can entrust the next generation. Tommorow you will be Hokage."

The entire group sat there, stunned speechless for a moment before Hiruzen broke the silence by bowing to his teacher and replying, "Yes, sir!"

"_**Damn it! You are always one step ahead of me!"**_ young Danzou thought angrily.

The older Danzou watched the scene fade in relief, it was his weakest moment, his worst memory. The day the Nidaime Hokage died and Sarutobi Hiruzen was named the Sandaime Hokage. Danzou had taken the Nidaime's words to heart and banished his emotions to never lose his calm. Danzou watched as Hiruzen allowed his emotions take control and saw how it affected the safety of the village.

The scene finally faded, only to reappear and restart. "What is the meaning of this?" Danzou gritted out.

Itachi's voice once again rang out, "I told you. I control everything here. Space, time, and reality. You will be my prisoner for three days. Only seventy-one hours, fifty-nine minutes, and fifty-nine seconds to go."

Thus, Danzou watched his greatest failure over two hundred thousand times before Itachi's jutsu broke.

Those in the real world saw Danzou turn toward Itachi one second and hit the ground, unconscious the very next. "Take him to the hospital, Jiraiya will have a room prepared to prevent Danzou from escaping and Shizune-chan will be treating him." Sarutobi commanded, "and take my former teammates back to their homes. I will deal with them tomorrow."

"Yes, sir!" the ANBU Black Ops responded, hurrying to do their Hokage's bidding.

"Well, that is a relief, Hokage-sama." drawled a voice from outside the small office.

"Ah, Shikaku, Inoichi, Chouza, Tsunade, I am glad you are all alright." the Sandaime addressed them cordially. "Kakashi, Itachi, please oversee the investigation of this facility."

"Hai, Hokage-sama!" they both replied as the Hokage made his way to his former student and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.

"Tsunade, I know you-" he began.

Tsunade shook her head, and stuck her tongue out at her teacher playfully, "Nope, you're not gettin' your stuff back, Sarutobi-sensei. You offered me the title, and I'm taking it! Plus I can hold it over that gaki's head."

Sarutobi's eyes widened in surprise and a hesitant smile broke out over his face, "You mean…"

Tsunade dangled the Hokage hat in front of her and smirked, "That's right. I'm here to stay this time."

Sarutobi's face broke into a wide grin as he placed his hands on his female student's shoulders, "I have faith in you, Tsunade-chan."

Yamanaka Inoichi, who was just to Sarutobi's left, bowed deeply and said, "I am happy you have decided to stay, Tsunade-sama, even though the Godaime position was part of Shikaku's plan to help defeat Danzou."

Akimichi Chouza nodded in agreement as he offered his own bow, "I look forward to serving you as the Godaime Hokage, Tsunade-sama"

Nara Shikaku smirked slyly, "Well, Tsunade-sama, I'm glad I already sent a message to the feudal lord, so we can get you instated quickly."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes at the Nara, "You knew this was going to happen, didn't you, Nara?"

Shikaku sweatdropped and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "Troublesome female."

Inoichi laughed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "Now, Tsunade-sama, I am sure that Shikaku was merely being…..optimistic…..ne, Shika?"

Shikaku, being the genius he was, immediately saw his friend's get-out-of-jail-free -card and took it effortlessly, "Hai. I was merely hoping for the best, Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade eyed the Nara critically before cracking a wide smile and laughing jovially, "I like that, Shikaku, that's why I'm going to suggest to Daimyo-sama that you and Sarutobi-sensei be named as the Hokage's advisors in place of the two old fogies'." seeing the smirks on Inoichi and Chouza's faces she whirled on them and grinned evilly, "Don't worry, Inoichi, Chouza- I have special things planned for you two as well."

Shikaku's eyes twitched comically, "Are you trying to work me to death, crazy woman?"

Inoichi and Chouza looked at each other, then back at the blonde, "_What have we gotten ourselves into?"_

Tsunade's grin turned sharper and all four men gulped, "Oh just wait until I tell that brat that I'm Hokage….."

All four men sweatdropped.

Tsunade was the right choice…right?

* * *

Reviews feed my muse!

Also, I'm really excited to see if you guys liked this chapter!


	34. Revelations

Author's Note:

I really hope you guys enjoy this! I worked really hard and rewrote this things like, five times!

Please review!

* * *

The sixteenth day of September broke over the Land of Fire in a brilliant display of amber, gold, and brilliant blue. To the duo standing at the top of the Hokage Monument, it seemed much more brilliant and cheerful than the previous sunrise.

Tsunade, in her usual attire, gazed over the village- _**her**_ village. "_Is this how you felt, Grandfather, Granduncle?"_ she mused quietly to herself.

Meanwhile Sarutobi Hiruzen gazed at his female student with a mix of nostalgia and pride, "Happy to be home, Tsunade-chan?"

Turning to smile at her old sensei, Tsunade smiled softly, "It is good to remember, Sarutobi-sensei." Seeing her sensei's questioning look, she continued as she returned her gaze to the village below them, "It is good to remember why Nawaki and Dan wanted to protect this place so badly."

Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled broadly at his one-time student before turning his gaze back to the village below, "I hope, Tsunade-chan, that you will learn from the mistakes of the older generation and lead our beloved little leaves with wisdom and kindness."

Tsunade gave her sensei a sidelong glance and crossed her arms across her ample chest, "I will sensei. For my family, Dan, Jiraiya, Minato, Kushina, Shizune, the Uchiha brats, and for that sunshine idiot." Tsunade turned and laid her hand on her sensei's arm with a smile, "After all, I am the Godaime Hokage now!" _"Ooooh! I can't wait to tell that gaki"_

Sarutobi fought the tears that threatened to manifest as he saw Tsunade's determination simmering in her amber eyes. _"It's good to have you home, Tsunade-chan. I'm glad you came back to us."_

The emotion of the moment was broken by the appearance of Shinzune, "We have finished verifying the identies of all the ANBU Black Ops and all the Ne members have been relocated to the holding cells of Torture and Interrogation."

Tsunade nodded at her apprentice, "Have Ibiki interrogate them. Their loyalty was to Danzou, but I have a suspicion that they were led to believe that loyalty to Danzou meant loyalty to the Leaf Village, which means there may be a chance to rehabilitate them."

Sarutobi nodded his head and hummed in agreement, "Despite his actions, Danzou truly loves the Leaf Village." At Tsunade's look, Sarutobi continued, "I know you have only known him as a dark, bitter man, Tsunade-chan, but I remember the young man who grieved deeply over the death of both my predecessors."

Looking towards the hospital, Sarutobi sighed regretfully, "Danzou is but a shadow of his former self, but I know for certain that he loves this village. Danzou simply hated himself and to that end wanted to erase his weakness from the village. I, and my position as Hokage, was the target of his misguided agenda." Looking back to Tsunade and Shizune, "Let this be a lesson to you both of what can happen when a pure desire becomes misguided."

As he finished his statement, he saw Tsunade's eyes soften and Sarutobi knew she understood his meaning. In the next instant Kakashi and Itachi appeared, kneeling before the Sandaime and soon-to-be Godaime. Kakashi spoke formally, "Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi have finished processing the scene per Sandaime-sama's orders. All the collected intelligence has been turned over to the Nara Clan and the ANBU Black Ops are guarding the facility to catch any operatives who might be returning from missions."

"Well done, Kakashi-kun, Itachi-kun." Sandaime told them, "I need you two and Shizune-chan to gather two more squads,- any shinobi currently in the village are eligible for this assignment- and prepare the meeting hall for Daimyo-sama and his entourage. They should arrive tomorrow, no later than mid-morning."

"Hai, Hokage-sama!" all three replied before disappearing.

Turning back to Tsunade, Sarutobi smiled, "Well, I have a couple of former team mates to deal with. We will deal with Danzou this evening, Tsunade-chan, Jiraiya and some members of the ANBU Black Ops are standing guard. See you later, Tsunade-chan!" and with that Tsunade was alone.

Looking out at the village once more, Tsunade smirked, "I have a gaki to rile up!"

* * *

Temari knew that something was amiss the moment she felt her father's chakra enter the house. Laying very still and controlling her breathing as her father's chakra signature neared her door the little princess could hear nothing except the screaming of her heart and the blood pounding in her ears.

"Temari!" came the voice of the Yondaime Kazekage from outside her door, "Get up and get dressed! Some important dignitaries will be arriving today and you and Kankuro will be receiving them with me! Dress appropriately!" With that the footsteps faded, no doubt going to Kankuro's room to give him the same speech.

"_Bastard!"_ Temari growled in her mind as she stole from underneath her warm covers only to be greeted by the chilly early morning air, "_He's probably going to send Gaara someplace where 'the monster can not embarrass our village'. Baka!"_ Temari's early morning rant against her father was broken by her littlest brother sneaking into her room and shutting the door quietly behind him.

"'Morning, 'Mari-nee-chan." Gaara greeted his sister quietly, inwardly joining Shukaku in chuckling at his sister's bed-hair, "_Kazekage-sama_ told me to go into the desert today and _entertain_ myself."

Temari stopped stalking towards her closet long enough to throw her brother a less-than-amused look and resumed her death march towards her clothing. Throwing open the doors with more force than was absolutely necessary Temari began moodily throwing clothes around trying to find something _presentable_ for her _wonderful_ day with her father and his _guests._

Gaara watched, amused, as his sister decimated her clothing with surprising efficiency. "_**Do they teach kunoichi how to do that or is it something your crazy sister came up with herself?" **_Shukaku asked his container.

Gaara cocked his head to the side and pondered his houseguest's question. "_**I'm not sure, Fuzzy-chan. Want me to ask?"**_

"_**NO!" **_Shukaku responded immediately, not looking forward to an early-morning Temari's wrath- that damn sand shield did not move by itself!- "_**and I liked the old nickname better."**_ the demon whined.

Gaara chuckled quietly, though the sound did not interrupt his sister as she moved to her dresser and proceeded to litter her floor with the contents. "Uhm….'Mari-nee-chan?" he ventured.

Temari slammed her last drawer shut and whirled around to face her littlest brother, arms crossed, "What."

Gaara gulped and repressed the urge to use his sand shunshin, "Uhm, 'Mari-nee-chan, why don't you wear that outfit that Baki-sensei's wife gave you for graduation?"

Temari watched her little brother shift his weight from foot to foot and thought that _maybe_ she was overreacting…..just a little. Temari sighed, "I would, but I don't remember where I put it."

Gaara brightened, "You left it in my closet 'cause you were too tired to bring it back to your room the day she gave it to you. And the housekeepers won't clean my room, so it never got moved."

Temari squealed as she ran forward and hugged Gaara- Shukaku had debated the sand shield, but decided the inevitable lecture wasn't worth the risk- thanking Gaara for the suggestion before running off to his room to fetch her outfit.

Gaara, meanwhile, just stood in his sister's messy room and shook his head, "Girls." the young child muttered.

"_**Ohhhh, just wait, gaki."**_ Shukaku said ominously before laughing maniacally.

* * *

The little boy stared out the window in wonder. The boy had read about the desert and had seen sand- but never this much sand! Yagura, at the age of ten, had been the Yondaime Mizukage for nearly six years, and this was his very first trip to Sunagakure no Sato. Slowly the gates of the hidden village became visible in the early morning sun. Turning to his travel companion the boy opened his mouth, "Tobi-sensei, what treaty are we going to discuss while we are here?"

Tobi-sensei, also known as Uchiha Madara, sat next to Yagura dressed as typical middle-aged Kiri advisor, with grey hair and drab clothing. Tobi knew Yagura was a smart boy and try as he might Madara could not completely control the jinchuuriki. Madara knew that while the psychological conditioning he had put the boy through had endeared the child to him, but Yagura's gentle nature conflicted with Madara's bloody plans. The boy would have to be disposed of soon before he broke free of Madara's control. "_"A good job for Kisame."_

"Tobi-sensei?" the boy asked, looking at the old man beside him.

Clearing his throat, 'Tobi' spoke, "The Kiri-Suna Alliance Treaty would allow….."

* * *

Temari and Kankuro stood beside their father, dressed to impress, as they awaited the arrival of the Kiri entourage. Temari snuck a glance at Kankuro, seeing her brother sweat in his formal attire made her feel a measure of vindication. "_At least he doesn't have to wear these stupid hair accessories!"_ Temari grumbled in her mind, "_I wish they would hurry up! Actually, I wish I could have gone with Gaara- in my ninja clothes!"_

As if sensing his sister's thought, Kankuro snuck a glance at Temari and mentally noted that his sister was pretty- not that he would ever admit that out loud, especially to that psycho! But still, he would have to keep an eye on her, you know, just in case. Biting his tongue to keep from sighing the oldest son of the Kazekage shifted subtly. Autumn or not, it was going to be a hot day and Kankuro did not want to spend half his day at the damn gates!

"We have a visual, Kazekage-sama!" One of the guards called from up above.

"Look alive!" the Kazekage barked as the entire entourage immediately stood straighter and the children were checked for any blemishes.

The advance guard of the Kiri entourage came close to the forward guards at the gates, going through boring protocol. Suna and Kiri, despite their budding alliance, were very wary of everything and everyone so the security protocols were long, boring, and exhaustive. So, Temari and Kankuro had been standing ram-rod straight for nearly two hours before the Mizukage actually arrived at the gates.

"_More boring protocol."_ both Temari and Kankuro thought as the same time as their father stepped forward to receive the Water Shadow. Neither child had ever seen the Mizukage- even on their trip to Kirigakure no Sato- so they had to work hard to steel their expressions when a blonde haired brat stepped out of the carriage dressed in the Mizukage robes.

"….and these are my children, Temari and Kankuro." their father was saying in monotone.

Yagura looked towards the blonde-haired girl and the mini-Kazekage briefly before returning his gaze back to the man before him, "Excuse me, Kazekage-dono, but I was under the impression that you had another child."

The look on the Kazekage's face became strained before smoothing, "I apologize, Mizukage-dono, but my youngest child has been feeling ill and I allowed him to rest. I apologize for neglecting to mention this earlier."

Yagura knew the man was lying but let it pass, "I hope he feels better soon, Kazekage-dono. Now, shall we begin?"

* * *

Two weeks had passed since they had come to Konoha and Naruto and Sasuke hadn't seen Itachi-nii-san or 'Kashi-tou-san or any members of their party since they had been dropped into Mikoto's care. However, far from being too upset or worried Sasuke and Naruto were having a **blast**! Even though it sucked that Itachi-nii-san and 'Kashi-tou-san were busy with Ero-Sennin and Tsunade-baa-chan, Mikoto-kaa-chan (as Sasuke demanded he call her) was fun and a much better cook than 'Kashi-tou-san.

Then there was Shisui-nii-san and he was fun like Itachi-nii-san, Shisui even understood Naruto's sense of humor! After the first three days, though Shisui had left on a mission and so far he hadn't returned. But, even better than Shisui-nii-san, was all the other kids their age that lived in the big house on the Nara lands. Not to mention that Yoshino-san had once again brought her son, Shikamaru and his friend, Chouji this morning and Chouji was awesome! Chouji ate as much as Naruto! Shikamaru seemed kind of lazy, but he still played with them! Usually he would be the referee, but he was good at it, so Naruto and the others didn't mind!

Currently the four of them were all engaged in some sort of free-for-all tag game, which they had been playing since breakfast. The other children had been taken to the Academy and the younger ones were taking their morning nap. "-Pant, Pant- I'm not getting caught by the likes of you, Sasuke-teme!" Naruto taunted to his friend.

Sasuke was running after the blonde with a smile on his face, "Yeah, right, baka! You're just gonna trip or something! Then I'll get you!"

"Hey, don't underestimate Naruto like that!" Chouji called in defense of his teammate.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru drawled from his spot on the grass.

"Boys!" Yoshino called from the kitchen, "Snacks!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Naruto and Chouji both yelled, making a beeline for the house, Sasuke and Shikamaru following after them at a much more moderate pace.

The two dark haired boys shared a look, "Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered with a grin.

While the boys were chowing down on snacks Shikaku made his way across the open field and into the house. Seeing Mikoto and Yoshino as he entered he smiled at his wife's friend and then at his wife.

"Well." Yoshino demanded, "How did it go?" Mikoto beside her wrung her hand in anticipation.

"It failed." he began and both women's faces dropped, "The attempted coup d'é·tat failed."

Mikoto brought her hands up to her face to hide her reaction while Yoshino smacked Shikaku on the back of the head, "Baka! Think of a better way to say it! You scared me half to death!"

Shikaku held up his hands in his defense, "Now, now Yoshino-love."

Yoshino crossed her eyes and glared, "Don't you 'Yoshino-love me, Nara Shikaku!"

Suddenly a dark-haired boy poked his head out from behind the wall that led to the kitchen, "Tou-chan!" Shikamaru called happily, tackling his father in an excited hug. "You're back! Did you finish your mission?"

Shikaku smiled at his son, "Yes, Shikamaru. Actually I came to tell you all that there will big a huge announcement in a few hours, so you all need to wash up and get ready to go to town."

"Alright, tou-chan!" Shikamaru called, running back into the room to tell the other kids.

"What announcement, Shikaku?" Yoshino asked.

"You'll see, Yoshino-love, you'll see."

"Lazy baka, Shikaku." the Nara woman muttered.

Mikoto giggled and went to see to the kids.

* * *

The Kiri security detail waited patiently in the searing hot sun as their Yondaime exchanged nicities with Sunagakure's Yondaime. Hoshigaki Kisame, age twenty-one and member of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū (Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist) stood to the left side and a little behind his leader taking in the scenery and watching for any sign of aggresion towards his leader. Samehada rested on the shark-like man's back comfortably, cooling the Kiri shinobi in the mid-morning desert sun. "_Damn I hate the desert."_

Opposite of Kisame was another _Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Sh__ū_ member named Momochi Zabuza, age eighteen and wielder of the great Kubikiribōchō. Like Kisame, Zabuza was casually observing his surroundings while watching for signs of aggression from the Suna shinobi. Unlike Kisame, however, Zabuza was also keeping an eye on the advisor of the Yondaime Mizukage, "_Something is going on with that guy."_ the faithful Kiri shinobi mused thoughtfully.

Scattered around behind the two forerunners were three more members of the _Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Sh__ū__._ Akebino Jinin, age thirty-two, and the wielder of the Kabutowari. The blade was known for being able to break though any defense with its unique style. Ringo Ameyuri, the only female member of the _Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Sh__ū_ and the wielder of the lightning blades, Kiba. The final member of the _Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Sh__ū_ was Minashi Jinpachi, and at age thirty-five was also the eldest member of all seven. Jinpachi wielded the terrible Shibuki, known for its incredible explosive capabilities which were fully exploited by the exceptional swordsman.

Of course, Temari and Kankuro knew very little about Kirigakure's proud swordsmen, so all they saw were terrifying people with sharp, pointy teeth, cloths around their necks, and really scary looking swords. Determined to not show weakness the Kazekage's children allowed their gazes to pass over the Kiri shinobi as uninterestedly as possible. "_Damn I wish Gaara was here_." they both thought.

* * *

When Shikamaru had come running in sating they they needed to get ready for a big announcement in the village Naruto's first reaction had been excitement. Between running with the others and getting ready, though, Naruto had time to think about what was happening.

Going into the village.

Without 'Kashi-tou-san.

Slowly the blonde withdrew himself from the excited atmosphere. Naruto had dressed himself in a pair of black pants (it was chilly outside) and a white shirt with an orange swirl on front. Putting on a pair of white socks the blonde jinchuuriki and went to sit in a window that faced the direction of the village. Drawing his knees up to his chest Naruto hugged his arms around them trying to ignore the phantoms in his head.

"_It's…it's __**him**_."

"_We don't serve freaks like you!"_

"_Just go away! Don't even look at us!"_

"_Stay away from my daughter you…..evil boy!"_

Tears formed in the jinchuuriki eyes and he pillowed his head against his arms, sobbing quietly. "_Even though 'Kashi-tou-san says that I'm a hero, it still hurts to know they feel that way about me! I want 'Kashi-tou-san!"_

* * *

Temari bowed one last time to her father- Kankuro, the lucky bastard had been dismissed nearly _two hours ago_- and walked out of her father's office as dignified as possible, since the Mizukage and his old advisor were still in the room. Entering the hallway Temari realized that she would have to walk past the Kirigakure security detail to get out of the building. _"Great. Just great."_ Temari thought dourly as she marched resolutely down the hallway, doing her best to not look at any of them. "_Maybe I can get out of here before they decide to take an interest in me."_

"Oi! Daughter of the Kazekage!" one of them called after.

"_Damn! So close!"_ Temari cursed. The door was right there! A fingernail away! Turning around to face the person who called after her despite the voice inside her head that was screaming "_RUNRUNRUNRUN!"_ "Yes?" she said with as much of a smile as she could manage.

Zabuza held out the necklace to her, "You dropped this."

Temari's hands flew around her neck, "_I can't believe I didn't notice! Mother's necklace!"_ Quickly walking over to the Kiri shinobi the girl quickly took the necklace from him and replaced it on her person. Looking up at the older teen, Temari smiled brilliantly, "Thank you!" she said gratefully, bowing to the man.

Zabuza, for his part, was taken aback. Most people recoiled from him, he was known as the "_Demon of the Mist"_ after all. "Uh, sure."

Temari flashed him one more grateful smile and turned and ran out the door.

* * *

Review please!


	35. Gaara's Heart, Naruto's Fear

Kisame watched Zabuza hand the necklace back to the Kazekage's kid with bored eyes. "_Che!"_ the shark man thought, "_Zabuza might be ruthless in battle but he's a softie sometimes. It's going to get him killed. Although I have seen him looking at Mizukage-sama strangely lately, I will have to keep an eye for him."_ Kisame's thought were interrupted by the door to the Kazekage's office opening and the Mizukage exiting.

Yagura walked into the hallway where his shinobi were waiting, leaving his advisor and the Kazekage to discuss some particulars about the treaty. "Let's get some rest, shall we?" he asked kindly, "Kisame, Zabuza, please stay here and await Tobi-sensei's departure. Jinin, Ameyuri, Jinpachi- let's go."

"Hai, Mizukage-sama!" the shinobi chorused.

Yagura sighed in exasperation, "I've told you all a thousand times to call me 'Yagura-sama'!"

"Hai, Mizukage-sama!" they chorused again.

"I give up!" Yagura mumbled like a petulant child and stalked towards his assigned quarters, his assigned protectors following him, amused.

* * *

Sasuke, Chouji, and Shikamaru were chattering excitedly while running circles around Mikoto, Yoshino, and Shikaku.

"Everyone ready?" Yoshino called cheerfully.

"Yeah!" the trio chorused, rushing off without preamble.

"Hey, wait!" Yoshino called after them, running to catch up.

Mikoto looked around, "Have you seen Naruto, Shikaku?"

The Nara leader looked at the Uchiha woman, "No, I assumed blondie ran off without us. He seems rather excitable."

"I'm going to double check the house, I'll catch up." she told him as she moved to return to the house to check for the chibi.

"Alright, Mikoto, but don't be late!" Shikaku called after her as he turned to leave.

* * *

Tobi (aka Madara) felt Yagura's chakra signature fade and turned back to face the Kazekage. "Now that we are alone, Kazekage-sama, I can speak to you about a troubling problem."

The Kazekage narrowed his eyes and leaned forward, placing his elbows on his desk and resting his chin in his hands, "I am listening, advisor of the Mizukage-dono."

Tobi sat down from across the man and flashed a small smile, "Please, call me Tobi, Kazekage-sama."

The Kazekage nodded, "Very well, Tobi-san, what is this troubling problem you spoke of?"

"I understand that your youngest son, Gaara, is the Ichibi sontainer, correct?" Tobi spoke.

The Kazekage tensed and glared at Tobi, "And if he is?"

Tobi settled back in his chair and laid out his plan, "Well, you see, Mizukage-sama is also a jinchuuriki, the container of the Sanbi."

The Kazekage inclined his head at this piece of information, "Please get to the point, Tobi-san."

Tobi sighed, "We fear that Mizukage-sama is being controlled by the beast. I'm sure you have heard of the civil war that has been going on in Mizu no Kuni (Land of Water), despite our best efforts to quash the information from leaking to other countries."

"I have heard of the strife happening in the borders of Mizu no Kuni." the Kazekage noted.

"Well, we fear that the Mizukage does not stop the conflict so he can freely make changes to the government without suspicioun. You know that a jinchuuriki can be highly unstable." Tobi droned.

"Yes." the Yondaime Kazekage replied heavily, "I have learned that lesson well."

"Well, Kazekage-sama, I propose we use our two _problems_ to take care of themselves."

"I'm listening….."

* * *

Mikoto found the blonde sobbing quietly in one of the windows on the second story. "Naruto-chan?" she called softly.

Mikoto felt her heart break at the sight of the watery blue eyes so filled with _anguish_ that greeted her. Oh, how she missed they way they sparkled when he laughed! "Naruto-chan, what's wrong?" she asked as she slowly made her way over to the boy. Putting her hand on his head Mikoto nearly cried herself when she felt him tense and stop breathing. "Naruto!" the woman said, "Naruto, it's me- Mikoto-kaa-chan! Please breathe, little one!"

Naruto drew in a shuddering breath and Mikoto nearly gasped in relief. Reaching out and grabbing the chibi, the practiced mother of two adjusted the boy so that he was sitting on her hip as she started to make her way downstairs and out of the house. Remembering to throw up the slight genjutsu to make sure no one recognized her, she rubbed soothing circles in Naruto's back while she walked.

When the boy seemed to have cried himself out, Mikoto spoke, "What's wrong, dear?"

Naruto whimpered and muttered a little before it all came spilling out, "TheylookatmelikeI'mamonster" breath, "and'kashi-tou-sanisn''twannago!" he finished in a rush.

Mikoto stopped walking for a moment and looked at the blonde that was clutching her shirt fiercely. "Naruto-chan…" she began before she was rudely interrupted.

"Naruto, baka! Where have you be…." Sasuke started to say as he burst through into the clearing where Mikoto was holding Naruto. Seeing his friend in his mother's arms made Sasuke's heart leap, "Naruto? Are you alright? Did someone say something mean? Was it me? I didn't mean it! I promise I was just teasing! Have you been crying? Tell me what's wrong Naruto!" Sasuke fired off rapid-fire, making the blonde try to shrink into Mikoto even more.

"Sasuke-chan, that's enough!" Mikoto said firmly while gesturing her younger son to come closer. Sasuke obeyed his mother and came forward to cling to the leg that was opposite of the side she was holding Naruto.

Just then Shikamaru and Shouji came bursting through were Sasuke had been previously, followed by Shikamaru's parents.

"N-Naruto?"

"Naruto? Che, troublesome."

Yoshino and Shikaku looked at the chibi in concern, "Is he alright Mikoto?" the woman asked her friend.

"Physically, yes." Mikoto said, placing her hand over the head of the chibi who was trying to squirm out of her grip. "Naruto-chan doesn't want to go into the village."

Instantly, Yoshino and Shikaku understood, but the kids were confused.

"Ano, Mikoto-sama," the Akimichi child said respectfully, "why would Naruto fear going into our home village."

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed and he thought hard. When had he ever seen Naruto wandering around the village without Sandaime-sama?

Shikaku watched his sobs eyes move back and forth rapidly and felt a mixture of pride and heartbreak. "_Did you figure it out, Shikamaru?"_

Mikoto meanwhile, searched for the right words, "Chouji-chan," she began, "some people in our village feel tht their losses are Naruto-chan's fault. They aren't, but he is the person that they have chosen to blame, and as such they tend to treat him….poorly."

Sasuke looked up at his mom, "Kaa-chan, what do you mean?"

Shikaku stepped in- they were going to be late if they waited much longer, "All you guys need to know is that Naruto is your friend and it's your responsibility as his friends to stand up for him. Now, we need to get going, we are due at Hokage Tower soon."

Mikoto nodded and stooped so Sasuke could climb on her back, while Shikamaru was picked up by his father and Chouji was carried by Yoshino.

In a split instant the clearing was empty.

* * *

Kisame had always known that the Mizukage was being controlled by someone, and the shark-like man had glimpsed the silhouette several times when receiving orders from his leader. Kisame, for the first time in a long while, was in conflict. Was he supposed to be faithful to the puppet master or the puppet? Which was the true leader of Kirigakure no Sato?

Hoshigaki Kisame was meany thing: executioner, butcher, heartless, brutal, lethal, and a score of other words that most people shied away from. One thing, however, that Kisame was above all others was loyal. Kisame remembered the Sandaime Mizukage- the old man had cared nothing for Kirigakure no Sato, not like the Yondaime. Yondaime, when the man was not pulling his strings, was a fantastic kage- a wonderful balance between brutality and kindness.

So Kisame was confused at who to follow- the young child who had thawed a miniscule part of the heart Kisame had willingly killed long ago or the man calling the shots from the shadows. Kisame knew that the shadow master had removed Kisame from the ANBU Black Ops and placed him directly under the Mizukage to kill Yagura eventually. Normally an assisnation was nothing to Kisame- he had killed his own teammates to keep them from leaking intel to Konoha- but this was one assignment that threw Kisame's thoughts into turmoil.

* * *

Tsunade sat behind the Hokage's desk and glared at the paperwork. Since Daimayo-sama confirmed her appointment three days ago she had been cooped up in this damn room reacquainting herself with her shinobi roster and meeting her evil nemesis- paperwork.

Two ninja appeared in front of her, "Report, Kakashi, Itachi." she ordered.

Both shinobi stood and Kakashi addressed her, "Godaime-sama, the village is assembling, we should be ready for your announcement in under a half an hour."

Tsunade nodded, "Good work. Relax you two, they should be here shortly." Both shinobi relaxed thier stances, content to stand while they waited. True to Tsunade's predictions a few moments later the group arrived in her office.

Tsunade's smile died on her lips when she saw Naruto, "Mikoto!" she yelled coming around her desk and taking the boy from the woman's arms, "What happened to him?"

Mikoto allowed Naruto to be taken and handed Sasuke off to Itachi, "He didn't want to come into the village." she said quietly.

Kakashi tightened his fist at her quiet admission, cursing himself for not insisting to go retrieve Naruto. Kakashi walked over to Tsunade and put his hand on Naruto's back gently, "Naru-chan, it's alright."

Tsunade's medical chakra soothed the young blonde and Kakashi's words and touch calmed him. Slowly the blonde looked up from Tsunade's shoulder and into Kakashi's eye, "'Kashi-tou-san." he said softly, earning himself a closed-eye smile.

"Heya, Naruto!" the masked shinobi sad cheerfully.

Naruto looked around, "Where's Sandaime-jiji? We're in his office."

Tsunade's smile of relief turned pure wicked, "Wrong, gaki, this is MY office."

Naruto leaned back in Tsunade's arms and glared at her, "Nuh-uh! This is the Hokage's office! And Sandaime-jiji is Hokage!" Seeing the blonde woman's smirk widen, Naruto's eyes widenened, "WAIT! Don't tell me that they made you-I mean…gaaaah! No way!" he said dramatically, waving his arms around for emphasis.

Tsunade smiled cheerily and dropped the brat placing her hands on her hips, "Yep!" she said cheerfully, "I'M the new HOKAGE."

Naruto sat in a comical puddle on the floor, "NOOO!" he wailed, "An old woman like you can't be Hokage! We'll be doooooomed!"

Tsunade's forehead showed a tic mark of angre, "Who. Are. You. Calling. Old. Gaki." she gritted out menacingly.

Kakashi stepped forward and scooped up his chibi charge, holding him by an ankle. "Maaa, Naru-chan!" he said to the protesting boy, "It's almost time for Tsunade-sama to be announced to the village. Save your revenge for later by causing her lots of paperwork from your genius pranks." he told the boy cheerfully.

Naruto stilled for a moment before offering the blonde sannin an upside down, mischievous smile. "You always have the best ideas, 'Kashi-tou-san!"

"Ka-ka-shi!" Tsunade gritted out.

"Maa, Tsunade-sama." Kakashi said placatingly, hold Naruto out in front of him- still dangling by an ankle. "It's time!"

Tsunade glared darkly, but Kakashi was saved by a knock on the door, "Tsunade-sama!" came Shizune's voice.

"Coming, Shizune!"

* * *

Gaara was gazing up the moon from atop a sand dune. "_It's full tonight."_ the young red-head thought wistfully. "_What do you think 'Mari-nee-chan and 'Kuro-nii-san are doing, Fluffykins?"_

"_**Ah, one of my old nicknames. Feeling nostalgic?"**_ the demon said sarcastically. Seriously, the kid had come up with a least twenty new nicknames since they had left Suna tht morning….yesterday morning….whatever. It was after midnight, so it was yesterday morning. Gah!

"_Cuddly platypus?"_ Gaara called when his houseguest was quiet for while.

"…_**.I hate that one, gaki."**_ Shukaku said seriously, and groaned at the amusement that flooded his container's mindscape.

"…_then I LOOOOOVE is, Cuddly Platypus!"_ his container sing-songed.

"_**Ugh!"**_ Shukaku whined. "_** And to answer your question, Temari is probably beating Kankuro up for doing something idiotic….again. Seriously, that boy never learns."**_

Gaara nodded- that scenario seemingly the most likely.

Both demon and container stiffened when the perimeter they had set up set up was breached by an unknown chakra signature.

"_**The Sanbi."**_ Shukaku breathed quietly in the confines of Gaara's mind.

* * *

Homura and Koharu stood looking down on the people of Konohagakure no Sato. "_How could we have forgotten ourselves"_ they thought. "People of Konohagakure no Sato!" Homura's voice rang out, silencing the crowd.

"Today we, the advisors of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, announce to you the Godaime Hokage, as chosen by Sandaime-sama and approved by Daimyo-sama! We have full faith that Godaime-sama will be accepted by the Jonin Council, and so we present, for the first time, Godaime Hokage-sama." Homura and Koharu stepped back, their final duties as the Hokage's advisors completed.

Tsunade, clad head to toe in her robes and hat stepped forward to face the breathless crowd. Slowly she reached up and pulled the hat down, revealing herself to her village. Tsunade held her breath for a moment, wondering why it was so silent, when the crowd erupted in excited roars.

"_Godaime-sama!"_

"_Welcome back, Tsunade-sama!"_

"_Tsunade of the Sannin is our new Hokage!"_

"_Tsunade-sama is greatest medic-nin in Konoha history! Maybe she will start a new medic-nin program!"_

Tsunade smiled at her village before holding out her hand for silence. Instantly the crowd obeyed, eager to hear the words of their new leader, "As of today I officially take the seat of Hokage. From now on I will place my life on the line to protect our village!"

The crowd roared again.

Naruto, standing beside Kakashi, tugged on the Copy Nin's pants, earring his attention. "Are you sure Sandaime-jiji hasn't gone completely senile?"

Kakashi laughed out loud at the look Tsunade sent Naruto.

"_Oh, this is gonna be fun!"_

* * *

Yagura sat up as the memories of the henged clone that he left on the floor of the Kazekage's office came back to him. Yagura knew that Tobi-sensei did most of the work in the political area of being the leader of a hidden village, and that Tobi-sensei abused the power. However, Yagura had always assumed that the man he regarded as a father-figure had always had the young Mizukage's- and Kirigakure no Sato's- best interests. This new information, however, proved that the young boy's hopes were in vain.

"_Tobi-sensei has always used me."_ Yagura thought sadly, gripping his belly and cursing his fate for the nth time. "_I have to do something! If he turns the Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Sh__ū__ against me I won't have a prayer." Zabuza already is suspicious of me and Kisame will follow whoever he thinks is the true Mizukage. I found out about Mei-chan a long time ago, but I kept it from Tobi-sensei, because I guess I've always known that he was against me."_

The boy clutched his sheets and tried his hardest not to cry. Jinchuuriki, Mizukage- he was still a child and he could only handle so much betrayal before shattering. As the tears spilled over his eyes and ran down his chubby cheeks Yagura swiped at them angrily. "_What is the point! Why did I become Mizukage? I haven't made a single person's life better! I wanted to stop the bloodline massacres! I wanted to protect the people of Kirigakure!"_ Yagura's shoulders hunched forward and his tears fell faster as he fisted his hands in his blankets and tried his best to muffle the sounds of his sobs.

"_I can't take this!"_ the boy thought brokenly as he got up and threw on his ninja gear- almost leaving behind his Mizukage robes. "_I can do one more thing as Mizukage!"_ the boy thought resolutely, despite the tears still running down his face, "_I can appoint the Godaime- someone who won't be controlled!"_ With that last thought the boy turned his gaze to where his three members of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū were resting, "_I'm sorry…everyone. I failed you all and I don't deserve your loyalty or your lives. I can do this final thing for you, though, my faithful shinobi."_

With those final thoughts, Yagura of the Sanbi, Yondaime Mizukage of Kirigakure no Sato, diappeared into the blackness of midnight.

* * *

Kakashi, Itachi, Sasuke, and Naruto departed Konoha. Intending to go to the ruins of the Uzu no Kuni for Naruto's birthday. Shikamaru and Chouji had yet to forgive Tsunade completely for letting their new friends leave, even if they were going to be back in January to start the new term of the academy.

Tsunade had realized after pouring over _hours and hours_ of paperwork that to keep their force at a steady growth rate she needed the newest class to start at the age of six, so she could make them spend a year learning basic medical ninjutsu. She decided to let Kakashi have a little more time with Naruto outside of Konoha before tying both of them back down to the village and sending Kakashi back out on jonin missions.

* * *

"_**The Sanbi."**_ Shukaku breathed quietly in the confines of Gaara's mind.

Gaara turned towards the direction of the intrusion and soon a blonde-haired boy about the same age as Temari appeared.

Yagura looked up at the red-headed Suna child and cursed internally, falling into a fighting stance, trying to stop the tears that were still running down his face. His mind churning tumultuously, the young jinchuuriki was surprised to see no fear or unwelcome pity in the other boy's eyes just a deep understanding. This unsettled Yagura- and he hated being so out of control of these situations!- so he sent the Suna boy a watery glare, "What are you staring at!" he spat.

Gaara looked at the blonde and cocked his head to the side slightly, measuring Yagura with his unblinking gaze, "Your eyes." Gaara replied simply.

"What about my eyes?" Yagura sent back sharply.

"Your eyes….they look just like mine did, before I met Uzumaki Naruto."

Yagura snapped, something inside him _snapped_, "How do you know anything?" he yelled at the calm boy, "Do you know what it's like to find out everything you have been living is a lie! Do you know what it's like to be hated for things you have no control of? Do you know what it's like to be the leader of an **entire village**, only wanting to bring peace and prosperity, and yet you bring death and destruction to the ones you love the most? Do you know how any of that feels?" By the time he finished Yagura was panting from sobbing out his words, staring directly at the calm boy on the sand dune in front of him.

Gaara listened to Yagura's rant and his eyes became shadowed, after a few moments filled with only the desert wind and the boy's broken cries, Gaara spoke in a calm monotone, "I know." he began, "I know what it's like to find out everything you have been living is a lie. My mother's brother, Yashamaru, was the only person who ever loved me. Or at least, that was what I thought until he attempted to assassinate me- upon my father's orders."

Seeing Yagura's eyes squeeze shut, Gaara pressed on, "I held out hope that Yashamaru had only acted under orders, but he made sure to tell me that he had volunteered for the assignment because he could never forgive me for killing his sister, my mother. His last moments were spent telling me how much he loathed my existence and his life ended by blowing himself up and asking me to die."

Gaara saw Yagura's eyes open and the blonde jinchuuriki eyes were dead. Gaara continued, "_I hope I'm doing the right thing, Naruto, Itachi-nii-san, 'Kashi-tou-san."_ "After that my father poured his 'love' for me into sending shinobi after shinobi to finish what Yashamaru failed to do. I killed them all without remorse….actually, killing them was the only thing I had to validate my existence. Ending their lives made me feel alive."

Yagura tensed, "So why haven't you tried to kill me yet? Are you toying with me, little boy?"

Gaara shook his head, "My sister, Temari, went to ask my father to have me removed from training with her and my brother, Kankuro. My lack of control terrified her. To my entire village I was nothing more than the demon sealed inside me- a true monster."

Yagura's eyes widened slightly and he felt stupid for not realizing it sooner, "You're the Ichibi container- the Kazekage's youngest son! Then you should know that I hold the Sanbi- why haven't you tried to kill me yet? I'm out of my element and you are in the heart of yours!"

Gaara shook his head, "_Listen._ As I said my sister and brother were so terrified they didn't even want to be in a three man cell with me. I overheard her talking to my father and I was terribly angry- not that I knew any other emotion at that point. The voice in my head that I was convinced was my long-dead mother was telling me to murder them, to hurt those who hurt me- to make them pay for my suffering. But something inside me revolted against hurting my sister, even if she looked at me with the same eyes as everyone else."

Yagura was trying to not be interested in the boy's tale- his instincts were screaming that this was a trap and his inner demon was unsettled. While Yagura could not talk to the Sanbi, he long ago mastered its jutsu and could use its chakra at will, but something deep inside told the young Mizukage to listen to the boy in front of him. So, with little sanity he had left, Yagura did.

Gaara felt his heart clench at the shadows flittering past Yagura's eyes. "_**"We've been there, haven't we kid?"**_ Shukaku whispered softly in Gaara's mind, the first time the demon had spoken since announcing the Sanbi jinchuuriki's arrival. Feeling his container's mental nod, Shukaku urged Gaara to continue, "_**Keep going, Gaara. Tell him about the damily you found- tell him that there is hope. Speak quickly before the boy is lost forever."**_

His resolve firmed, Gaara pressed on, "I wandered through the desert for days- killing every life form I came across. Nothing made me feel alive and the voice in my head only got louder. Finally, past the point of exhaustion, I stumbled into an oasis, hoping to finally rest. I could not sleep or the demon would be released, but I wanted to lay in the shade. I remember hearing a voice- it sounded like a little kid about my age. 'Hey, you! Come here and get out of the sun.' he called to me. I stumbled over in a daze, surprised someone had said something so kind."

Gaara cleared his throat of unwanted emotion and continued, staring down at Yagura, trying to make the other boy understand just through the sheer emotion in his eyes. "I remember falling. I expected to hit the ground…or at least have my sand catch me."

Yagura's eyes were fixed on Gaara's seafoam ones, "He caught you." the other jinchuuriki breathed.

Gaara nodded, "Yes. Even though my sand came up and beat on him- making him bleed, he held me. I expected rage or loathing so I apologized. Or, at least I tried to. He yelled at me when I called myself a monster. Because of him I found salvation from my loneliness. I found family, camaraderie, and brotherhood. So while I can't understand everything you have dealt with, blondie, I can understand the pain of being alone and betrayed."

Yagura processed the information. This boy had seen the same suffering as Yagura, but found acceptance? Yagura dug deeper into his mind and searched for a time when someone had caught him when he fell, just to protect _him_- not the village, or from releasing the Sanbi. Just to protect him, Yagura, from hitting the ground. Even Tobi-sensei had never done that.

But Kisame had.

So had Zabuza.

Clenching his fists at his sides, Yagura finally calmed his wayward emotions. Even if they hated him- even if the killed him. Yagura would go back to Mizu no Kuni and find Terumii Mei and announce her as the rightful Godaime Mizukage. His resolve once again fixed and his emotions back under control Yagura spoke, "Thank you for sharing your story, Gaara-kun. I am Yagura, Yondaime Mizuage of Kirigakure no Sato. You have helped me find the strength I need to find the woman who will succeed me and correct the tragedies that have been caused by that _man_. If you will let me pass."

Gaara stared hard at his fellow jinchuuriki and listened to the carefully chosen words. Slowly he answered, "No."

Yagura moved his hand to the sword on his back. Storyteller or not, Yagura had a mission and he would complete it.

"I will not let you pass alone." Gaara spoke again, shocking Yagura just as his hand gripped the hilt of his katana. "I will however, assist you and we will pass this point together."

"Why?" Yagura asked, confused. "You're from Suna and I am from Kiri- our villages have been on rocky terms for decades."

Gaara smiled a small but genuine smile and readied his sand for travel, "Because the family I found- the family that saved me- was from Konohagakure no Sato. Now, let's go!"

As the two were surrounded by Gaara's sand which would teleport them to coast where they could use Yagura's techniques to make it to Mizu no Kuni in less than forty-eight hours from that exact moment they never knew that their fateful partnership would result in saving the very ones they left behind.

* * *

Two weeks later a notice reached Konoha.

The dispatch hailed from Kirigakure no Sato announcing that their own Godaime had been appointed. A woman named Terumii Mei. It also stated that an advisor had been killed by one of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū who had fled after the assassination. The whereabouts of the Yondaime Mizukage were currently unknown.

"More paperwork." Tsunade grumbled, "and I miss that damn brat. Kakashi better bring him back in one piece or I'll ban Icha Icha from Konoha!"

* * *

Review pretty, pretty please!


	36. A Time and A Place

**This version has not been blessed with the awesomeness of V.V. yet, but I will post the beta'ed version sometime.**

* * *

"Oi! Teme! Check out these fish!" Naruto called excitedly to his friend as the two boys explored in a cave just off the coast of the island that was serving as their temporary home. The first few weeks after they had arrived both boys has been under strict supervision whenever they explored due to the notoriously unpredictable nature of Uzu no Kuni's weather. After a few weeks of giving most of their caretaker's heart attacks it was decided that Konan would accompany the chibi on their excursions, as she was the least likely to panic while the most likely to steer them clear of danger. Konan herself did not mind the task as it was always entertaining to watch the interactions between the six-year-old and the almost six-year-old as they constantly tried to pull rank on each other.

Konan watched from her perch as the two boys intently studied the red fish that were actually quite common on this side of the island….though she wasn't about to tell them that. Like most islands Uzu no Kuni had a wide variety of colorful fishes for the boys to 'discover' but these red fish stayed nearly exclusively on the side of the island that led the way to the Mizu no Kuni. Humming softly to herself Konan noted that it was nearly time for them to head back so they could prepare dinner for everyone.

Since the arrival of the chibi accompanied by Kakashi and Itachi the boys had done absolutely zero training other than some basic chakra control exercises as Kakashi and Itachi were learning as much as they could from Ayumi and Nagato. Yahiko, while taking to the art of sealing much easier than anyone expected still preferred ninjutsu and as such spent most of his time focusing on creating his own personal techniques. Konan herself had been able to master a few basic seals and incorporate them into her personal style but it was easy for her to tell that she was not predisposition for the noble art.

Stretching lazily the young woman slowly rose to her feet, "Sasu-chan, Naru-chan, it's time to head back now."

Both boys looked up at her and groaned, "Do we haaaave to, nee-chan?" Naruto whined for the both of them.

Konan fixed the boys with _**that**_ stare, "I, for one, do not wish to hear Yahiko-kun whine for an hour if dinner is too late."

The chibi grinned at this, "Nee-chan do you looooooooove him?" they asked in unison, complete with fake swooning and rapidly blinking eyes before using Konan's temporary surprise to get a head start on the older girl.

Konan, for her part, was taken aback for moment before blushing and racing off after the two troublemakers, Oi! Ungrateful brats! I'll get you for that!"

Her only answer was the maniacal laughter of two little boys who _knew_ that had blackmail material.

* * *

Ayumi sat near the head of the traditional eastern-style table eating her dinner quietly and trying to figure out why every time Yahiko talked to Konan the two chibi laughed uncontrollably before Konan fixed them with a very threatening stare. "_I can see no sign of an impending prank, there is no food on their faces, no genjutsu, nothing strange in the food. I wonder what happened."_

Sasuke and Naruto on the other hand were having a ball making Konan paranoid. Every time Yahiko would talk to Konan the boys were titter loudly, gaining a confused glance from Yahiko and a dark glare from Konan. Whatever she made them do tomorrow was sooooo worth this.

Kakashi on the other hand knew exactly what was happening and while it was greatly amusing the older shinobi knew that he needed to teach his young charges the importance of the proper time and place for such humor before they inadvertently hurt someone with their innocent humor. Kakashi had seen close-knit teams fall apart from misplaced humor and he knew his boys would be deeply upset if one of their jokes hurt someone. Fortunately Itachi and Nagato had opted to continue a little longer and were absent so Kakashi could handle this without any interference.

Once dinner was finished Konan moved to begin clean-up, but was stopped by Kakashi. "Maa, Konan, why don't you take the night off the chibi and I can handle this." he said with a patented closed-eye smile. After Konan flashed him a small smile and both boys glared at him the girl left the dining area, leaving the trio alone. "Alright!" Kakashi said cheerfully, "clear the table and gather the dishes!"

Mumbling under their breath about lazy shinobi both boys did as they were told, clearing the table and making plans to get back at the Copy Nin for volunteering them for kitchen detail on their off day. Neither boy, though, was fooled by that smile…..they were either in trouble or they did something that 'Kashi-tou-san didn't want them to do again. Due to the amount of practice they had gotten at house chores the kitchen and dining area was clean soon enough and both boys knew Kakashi either had more tortu-chores or a lecture. Thinking back over everything they had done since their last lecture both boys came up empty. They had been good so why were they getting the feeling that they were in trouble!

Kakashi eyes the boys lazily as they shifted uncomfortably under his stare, allowing them some personal reflection time. Deciding that they had had enough of the 'silent treatment' the elder ninja kneeled down to be eye-level with the boys. "So, have you two figured it out yet?"

Both boys shook their heads in unison as Naruto started to sniffle- he **hated** making 'Kashi-tou-san disappointed. Sasuke wasn't in much better shape as a disappointed 'Kashi-tou-san was invariably a disappointed older brother. Surprisingly, Sasuke broke first, "What did we do, 'Kashi-tou-san? We've been good!"

Kakashi smiled gently at the boys before rising and grabbing a hand off of each boy, "Let's talk about this elsewhere, shall we?"

Ten minutes found the boys at one of the few still ponds in the former hidden village, sitting on either side of the silver-haired ninja. For a few minutes both boys simply stared at the water, watching as the fish swirled and danced in harmony. The night sky was spotless save for the gently light of the moon and the twinkling of stars so there was plenty of light for the trio to see deep into the clear water in front of them. Finally Naruto broke the silence, "I still don't get it, tou-san."

Smiling at his blonde charge Kakashi ruffled the boys hair before reaching out to do the same to Sasuke. "What you two did tonight at dinner wasn't harmful, but I needed to talk to you about the proper situations for that kind of humor."

Sasuke and Naruto looked at each other in confusion. "But, tou-san, we didn't say anything bad." Naruto protested, confused.

"Yeah," Sasuke added, "We just wanted to make Konan-nee-chan paranoid 'cause we were teasing her."

"I know." Kakashi replied simply, "and the teasing was harmless….this time." This got him their undivided attention. Kakashi sighed, sometimes he wished someone else could take over these parts for him, "Think about it guys, teasing Konan with no one around to hear is fine as long as you're not cruel- **and it's alright, Naruto**- I know that the both of you have gotten very good at knowing where to draw the line. However, let's make up a situation, ok? Say that Konan likes Yahiko as a romantic interest, ok?" Both boys sniggered, "But, Yahiko isn't sure if he feels the same way about Konan, while Nagato also likes Konan as a romantic interest but Konan is only focused on Yahiko."

Both boys looked at Kakashi like he had just announced that Icha Icha was bad for his health before starting to think. "Underneath the underneath, right tou-san?" Naruto asked, getting a nod from the older shinobi. Sasuke and Naruto looked at each other before looking back at the small pond in front of them, trying to unravel the mystery. While they were deep in thought Kakashi casually picked up a small stone and dropped it into the pond, causing the tiny residents to have a panic attack before settling once more.

Sasuke watched carefully and saw Naruto's eyes light up, "I got it!" the blonde exclaimed. Both the little Uchiha and Kakashi looked at the blonde expectantly as the boy crossed his arms over his chest proudly, "Don't hurt the fish!"

Kakashi and Sasuke almost face-faulted, "Uhm, good try Naruto but-" Kakashi began as Sasuke shook his head at the blonde in disbelief.

"No, really!" the blonde exclaimed, jumping up from his sitting position and going to stand on the surface of the small pond. "When 'Kashi-tou-san dropped the stone in the water, the ripples on the surface calmed down pretty quick but it made all the fishes go crazy for a little bit even after all the ripples were gone."

Sasuke's eyes grew wide with understanding, "Meaning that even though we were just teasing if we say it at the wrong time or around the wrong people- like Nagato in this pretend scenario- it could cause problems for them that could ultimately affect their teamwork because of trust issues."

Naruto took back over for Sasuke, "And trust is the most important thing to teams who truly understand the 'fectiveness of teamwork." Both boys looked at Kakashi who looked at the both of them proudly before ruffling their hair.

"Good work, chibi. Now who is up for a bedtime story?"

"I am!" both boys chorused excitedly as the trio headed back towards the house that was serving as their sleeping quarters, hanging off the Copy Nin excitedly and loudly demanding their favorite stories.

"Alright, alright!" Kakashi laughed into the night.

* * *

Suigetsu laughed as he watched Zabuza cower from Mei's wrath. There was just something intrinsically amusing about a big burly swordsman being bullied by a red-haired young woman.,

"Ack! I said I was sorry crazy woman!" Zabuza yelped as he dodged a lava sphere that had been aimed at his manly parts.

"Hmph! You should know better by now, Zabuza-kun!" Mei sand out merrily as she sent a wave of corrosive mist towards the subject of her ire.

Zabuza dodged the mist successfully and it ate away at the unsuspecting doorframe that had been behind him instead of the Kiri shin obi's face. Before he could retaliate Zabuza's thought process was halted by the giggles coming from young Suigetsu and the not-so-subtle amused grins on the faces of the 'pain-in-the-ass' trio, as he had come to call them. The 'pain-in-the-ass-trio consisted of Kimimaro, Gaara, and Yagura- who got along _quite_ well, much to the eternal torment of Zabuza. "Oi! Brats! Stop your giggling like schoolgirls and help me!"

Yagura smiled as he watched Kimimaro and Suigetsu attempting to lure Zabuza into saying something that the Godaime Mizukage would construe as a slight against her single status. Glancing out the window opposite of him Yagura's smile became much more contemplative. Since returning Mizu no Kuni almost a little more than a month ago Yagura had seen many changes to his beloved Kirigakure no Sato. Gaara and Yagura had left Kaze no Kuni and arrived at one of the outer islands just over two days later, albeit in disguise. Fortunately the area that they had stumbled upon was friendly with people who used kekkei genkai and though a series of half-truths and all-out lies both boys had managed to stumble upon the rebel forces, and with them Terumi Mei. Looking back now, Yagura was extremely happy that Gaara had accompanied him. Not only had the Ichibi container been crucial throughout their infiltration process, but it was Gaara's past with Kimimaro that convinced the rebel leader of Yagura's sincerity.

* * *

_**FLASHBACK**_

_Yagura and Gaara raced silently though the sparsely populated forest their feet making only the softest taps as they jumped from branch to branch. The early morning dew was still fresh on the ground and it was still several hours until sunrise. Yagura, on point, was on full alert constantly on guard as he frequently reached out his senses, waiting for Tobi-sensei to pop out of the foliage at any moment. Gaara, at the rear, was on guard as well discretely using Shukaku's chakra to search the surrounding area so he could save his own chakra for basic tasks such as branch-hopping. _

_It had been nearly eight days since their fated encounter in the desert and both boys knew that their window of opportunity was quickly closing. If Tobi-sensei made it back to Kiri before Yagura arrived with Mei, then Yagura's position as Mizukage would be compromised as Tobi could- and undoubtedly would- be able to declare Yagura dead and appoint a Godaime of his own choosing. On the bright side this harrowing experience had pushed boys to their limits and many years later they would laugh and recall this experiences as being one they, 'wouldn't trade for world and wouldn't do again for all the money in the world'. Gaara, having trained with the Uchiha prodigy and an inexhaustible ball of energy was holding his own while Yagura, who was undoubtedly a talented shinobi as Gaara could attest ,had originally had difficulties keeping up due to stamina being a glaring weakness, but after the third or fourth day had started seeing a definitive improvement._

_Suddenly Yagura held up his hand and stopped blending into the shadow of the tree he was standing on, Gaara doing the same just behind him. Not a moment later two men dressed in traditional Kiri shinobi garb came bursting through the trees, stopping a scant distance away._

"_Hmmm, keep your eyes open, 'Zuo, I could have swore I sensed someone." one man said crouching low on a branch and trying to pinpoint the source of the chakra he felt._

"_Maaa, maa, 'Toshi, it is possible for you to make a mistake, yeah." the second replied, leaning casually against the trunk of the tree. "When do you think Mei-sama will move camp, yeah, we've been here nearly three weeks, yeah."_

"_Quiet, you fool!" the other man replied harshly, "If this is an ambush you just gave away our position and talking about her in the middle of the forest is not exactly a bright move, dumbass!"_

"_What, afraid the tree will mount an attack, yeah?" the second man teased._

_Yagura, for his part, was trying hard to control his breathing and not freak out at the sound of his own heartbeat as the men continued trading barbs. Gaara however was painstakingly moving the thinnest tendril of sand he could manage towards the men, trying to plant some of the sand that smelled like his sister's perfume- from when she checked the bottle at him for forgetting to knock shortly after his return home from his time with Naruto and the others- on one of the men in case they could lead them back to their camp. "**Slowly, slowly**…" Gaara breathed in his mind praying to any deity he could think of that Shukaku would keep quiet so he could concentrate. "**Almost….almost, THERE! Got you!**" Gaara thought- quietly- in triumph as he deposited a discrete amount of sand inside the crouching man's kunai pouch._

_Yagura saw the sand from his vantage point and silently applauded Gaara for coming up with a plan in such a tight situation. The Yondaime Mizukage huffed in exasperation in the confines of his mind, "**I'm ten and Gaara is six, and while I understand that we are jinchuuriki, is it in any way, shape, or form normal that the ten-year-old is a kage and the six-year-old just put freaking sand into what has to be a mid-jounin level shin obi's freaking kunai pouch? I mean, even with specialized training and power leaking out of our ears this shit just can't be normal! There is no way our nerved should be so steeled or our strategies so effective!" **Yagura's inner diatribe was disrupted by the kneeling man admitting defeat to his partner and the two retreating back into the trees._

_Once the men were an acceptable distance away Yagura signaled to Gaara to move and both boys followed their quarry deeper into the trees, Gaara taking point due tracking his sand. The boys glided through the trees, their negligible thumps sounding like shattering glass in the quiet forest, Gaara trying his best to maintain a steady distance between them and the two men. They had fallen into a fairly steady rhythm after roughly half an hour when Gaara began to notice the trees thinning out just ahead, meaning that they were nearing the coastline. _

"_**Gaki, TRAP It's a TRAP!"** Shukaku suddenly screamed, causing Gaara to stop without warning, which caused Yagura to nearly plow the younger boy over. Gaara fought for his balance until Yagura appeared beside him to help, looking over the trap that could have killed them. Just in front of the duo was a nasty series of ninja wire with explosive tags attached to the anchor points. Meaning that one more step could have been the end of them. _

"_Well, well, what do we have here, yeah?" a voice called out from behind them. "Looks like they avoided your trap, yeah Keji."_

"_Cram it, Kazuo, you deviated from the course enough that they would see the wires!" the man called back hotly._

"_Cram it, both of you!" same a third voice, "They're a couple of kids and they're good enough to avoid traps, so don't let your guard down!"_

"_Yeah, yeah, old man Satoshi, don't get your panties in a twist, yeah." the one identified as 'Kazou' sighed._

"_Ano, would you all happen to be followers for Terumi Mei?" Yagura asked from beneath his disguise. All three men immediately stiffened and reached for their weapons. "We mean no harm, we have an important message for her. Please."_

"_Why should we tell you, yeah, you've got your faces covered, yeah." Kazou called snidely._

"_Kazou, stop saying 'yeah' before I kill you, " Keji growled before landing directly in front of the boys, "but the baka does raise a good point, why should we tell you anything?"_

_Yagura shared a quick glance with Gaara before continuing, "If we reveal our identities, will you swear on your code of honor that we can relay the message to Terumi Mei herself?"_

_The men exchanged wary glances before nodding grudgingly, "Very well, but we will take all your weapons and place you under a genjutsu so you can't try anything funny." the man named Satoshi said after a moment of contemplation. "Now reveal yourselves." he commanded, his stare boring into Yagura suspiciously._

_Yagura gripped his hood and steeled himself, the past few days had been quite the eye-opening experience and he was sure these men would be less than pleased to see who he was. "**Ah, well, can't be helped."** he thought dourly as he slid the hood back and gazed steadily into the man's eyes._

"_Holy shit!"_

"_It's the Yondaime, yeah!"_

"_Mizukage-sama!"_

_After the initial reactions wore off the man named Keji gripped his weapon tightly, "You fucking bastard! How dare you show your face here!" he screamed as he hurled himself towards the elder jinchuuriki only to be stopped by sand shooting out and grabbing him before tossing him beside Satoshi._

"_What was that, yeah!" called the man still standing behind the duo, eyes wide in shock._

_Gaara calmly removed his hood and stepped forward slightly to address the men, "I am Sabaku no Gaara, the youngest son of the Yondaime Kazekage of Sunagakure no Sato and this, of course, is Yagura, the Yondaime Mizukage no Sato." Gaara held up his hand and poured all the seriousness he could muster into his eyes, "Please, I know that you must each have issues, but if we don't see Terumi-san soon this will all be for nothing."_

_Keji was still glaring daggers at Yagura, and the men on either side of the boys were more than disturbed, but seeing the serious air around both young boys, Satoshi decided to take a gamble. "Alright, we will let you deliver your message, but surrender all of your weapons and submit to the genjutsu."_

"_Thank you." Yagura and Gaara said in relief, shrugging off their bulky cloaks slowly and releasing their partial henges both boys surrendered their packs and their weapons before standing expectantly in front of their captors. Yagura was not the least bit thrilled by the thought of leaving his unconscious body in the hands of people who very well might hate him, but if he could make it to Mei to name her the Godaime the young jinchuuriki would gladly take any risk. So with that thought at the forefront of his mind Yagura prepared to place his life in hostile hands._

_Satoshi nodded to Kazuo who stepped forward to apply the genjutsu, "Neha Shouja no Jutsu (Temple of Nirvana Technique)", immediately both boys saw white feathers before feeling drowsy._

_Satoshi raised an eyebrow, "I thought that technique was for large groups?" he questioned._

_Kazou shrugged carelessly, "Their chakra reserves are pretty incredible so I wanted to make sure it was strong enough, plus most of my other genjutsu might caused permanent psychological damage."_

"_That bastard deserves damage! After what he did!" Keji growled dangerously, stepping closer to the unconscious Yagura._

"_Enough!" Satoshi growled at the man, "Kazou you carry the red-head, I'll carry Mizukage-sama. Keji you take point and carry their bags. I want to get this messenger business over with."_

"_Hai!" both men chorused._

_As they sped towards the encampment, which was near the shoreline, Keji was brooding in front while the other two were conversing quietly behind him._

"_So, 'Toshi, you think he's tricking us or something?" Kazou asked quietly._

_Satoshi eyed the boy on Kazou's back and glanced at Yagura's blonde hair before shaking his head, "I'm not sure what's going on here 'Zou, but I have a feeling that whatever it is will be huge. I only pray that I made the right decision."_

_Kazou merely nodded his head in agreement, reaching over and pulling Yagura's hood up to keep him from being recognized._

"_Halt! State the password!" came a voice from above as a kunai embedded itself at Keji's feet, halting the squad._

"'_Nakama'" Satoshi called out instantly before continuing, "Team Satoshi back from recon with a few surprises, we need to see Mei-sama immediately."_

_The guards nodded and let them pass, not recognizing the small blonde on the team leader's back._

_A few minutes later the team and their cargo were standing in front of one Terumi Mei, who had been going over her plans for their relocation with one her top advisors, Harusame. Calling out her approval for admittance she was surprised to see Team Satoshi with two young men on their back._

"_Forgive me, Mei-sama," Satoshi said as he stepped forward, "but we came across these two in the forrest and they were quite insistent that they had an important message for you, going so far as to relinquish all their weapons and submit to a genjutsu to travel here. Mei-sama, one of them is….well, Mizukage-sama."_

_Mei's eyes widened, "And you brought him here?" she spat dangerously._

_Harusame narrowed his dark eyes at the figure on Satoshi's back thoughtfully before turning calmly to the seething Mei, "Mei-sama, I believe we should listen to what these two boys have to say." he stated politely._

_Mei turned to Harusame with an incredulous look, "You want me to listen to a supposed message from the leader of the Chigiri no Sato?"_

_Harusame nodded seriously, "Why would he seek you out, alone? I am very curious. If he proved to have ill intentions I do not doubt our ability to neutralize him."_

_Mei looked at Harusame like he had lost his mind but nodded slowly to Satoshi, "Alright, release the genjutsu and tell me about the other one."_

_Setting the boys down and binding their hands, Satoshi instructed Kazou to release the genjutsu while he told Mei what they knew of Yagura's companion._

_Yagura was the first to snap out of the haze, with Gaara following close behind, "I presume you are Terumi Mei-san?" Yagura inquired to the tall red-head in front of him._

_Mei nodded, "Yes. What is this important message?"_

_Yagura drew a deep breath, "I ask that you allow me explain to the end and I will answer all of your questions to the best of my abilities." Getting a nod of acceptance Yagura pressed on, "As you have probably been informed I am the container of the three-tails as well as the Yondaime Mizukage. I have come to realize that I have been betrayed, or perhaps one could say manipulated, by my most trusted advisor who was also my master."_

_Yagura fought to hold the woman's gaze, he wanted to look to the ground in shame! However he need her to understand what he was saying, "I knew of some of the stiife within Mizu no Kuni, but the true extent was hidden from me and the bloodline purges were **NOT** a result of **my** orders. I re-" here Yagura was cut off by a sword to his throat._

"_How DARE you!" Keji snarled in disgust, his sword tip digging lightly into Yagura's neck despite Satoshi's firm grip on his wrist, "How dare you come here and try to play innocent!"_

"_Keji, enough!" Mei barked, "We will listen then we will decided. I apologize for his actions, Yagura-sama, please continue." she said respectfully._

_Yagura looked at her dispassionately, the blood from his light wound staining his clothes, "There is no need to apologize, Mei-san. I have an incredible amount of deaths on my conscience, whether they were a result of my ignorance or my hand, it makes little difference. Where was I? Ah, yes, Tobi-sensei. I had traveled to Sunagakure no Sato to discuss a treaty with the Kazekage, but apparently my advisor had other plans. In secret the Kazekage and Tobi-sensei made plans to have Gaara, " here Yagura made a vague gesture with his head towards his companion, "and I eliminate each other in combat by means of disinformation. I left Suna that night and ran into Gaara purely by chance. Since then we have traveled here for one purpose." Yagura paused for a breath._

"_Yes, what is it? Spit it out already!" Mei cried impatiently._

"_That purpose was for me to name you the rightful Godaime Mizukage, Mei-san."_

_Absolute silence reigned before a loud, "NANI?" was heard._

_Mei leveled Yagura with a disbelieving stare, "You mean to tell me that you came all this way to name me the Godaime? And you expect me to believe that?"_

_Yagura's face took on a desperate quality, "Please, Mei-san! You have to believe me! I have to get you to Kirigakure so I can announce you before Tobi-sensei arrives and declares me dead so he can name his own Godaime!" Seeing the dark look on Mei's face Yagura did the only thing he could think of, he pitched himself forward, his head hitting the ground harshly without his hands to cushion the fall. He arched his back so he could tilt his face to breathe but left his bleeding forehead on the ground, "Please Mei-san! You may kill me afterwards! Torture me! But I must get you to Kiri before Tobi-sensei returns or all will be lost!" At this point tears had started to streak down Yagura's face, "I beg you!" he sobbed out._

_To say that the occupants of the tent were taken aback was an understatement. Here was Yagura of the Sanbi, who ascended to the position of Mizukage when his age was still in the single-digits, facedown on the ground, bound, crying, and bleeding. Mei would have been less surprised to see Hoshigaki Kisame drop out of the sky dancing the macarena while declaring his utter disdain for water and along with plans to move to the desert. Team Satoshi was not faring much better, here was the man- boy, their minds screamed- that they had hated so passionately begging to make the leader of the rebel faction the official Mizukage. Was this an elaborate trap? Kiri was know for her ruthlessness, after all._

_Before anyone could answer Kimimaro burst in, followed closely by Suigetsu, "Oi, Mei-sa….ma…GAARA! Is that you?" Kimimaro called to the bound red-head before scurrying over to get a closer look, "It is you!" Kimimaro exclaimed happily, glomping the smaller boy…..who still had his hands bound which meant that Gaara's sand had to cushion his fall and attempt to pry Kimimaro off him._

"_Ki…mi…can…bre…ath…e!" Gaara wheezed._

_Kimimaro noticed that he was suffocating his friend and jumped up with a sheepish grin, "O-oh, sorry Gaara."_

_Gaara greedily sucked in air while grinning at his friend, "G-good t-to se-ee you to-oo, Kimi-ma-r-o" he gasped out eventually._

_Mei looked at her two favorite orphans, "You know him?"_

_Kimimaro looked at Mei in confusion, "Don't you ever listen, baa-chan?" at that Mei's eye twitched violently, "this is Gaara from Suna. Remember the rescue, Uzumaki Naruto, and the Oro-teme?"_

_Mei's eyes widened, "He's that Gaara?" she asked incredulously._

_Kimimaro rolled his eyes, "Of course he's that Gaara. How many Gaara's do you think there are, baa-chan?"_

"_QUIT CALLING ME THAT!" Mei screamed as she moved forward and lifted the despondent Yagura back up into a kneeling position, brushing some random dirt off his forehead before looking into his magenta eyes, searching for answers. After a few moments Mei spoke, "I believe you, Yagura-sama."_

_Keji protested, "Mei-sama, you can't be serious…."_

_Mei flared her killing intent, instantly shutting the man up and showing that she meant business, "If Gaara of Suna came all this way to help Yagura-sama deliver this message then I believe them. Yagura was already Mizukage by Gaara's age, it would have been easy for someone to manipulate him. Do you really feel alright with placing all this devastation on the shoulders of a boy? Do you?"_

_Keji gulped, when she put it like that… "No, Mei-sama."_

"_I thought so." Mei huffed, crossing her arms over her stomach. "Prepare to break camp," she ordered, "We're going to Kirigakure no Sato! Satoshi, untie the gaki."_

_Yagura could do nothing but smile in relief, flashing Gaara a grateful smile. "**Maybe there's still hope after all."**_

**_FLASHBACK END_**

* * *

"_Since then Mei-dono has thrown herself into reforming Kiri and stopping the bloodshed. Tobi-sensei showed up just like I thought he would but he was attacked by Ameyuri."_ Yagura fingered the coral bracelet that was on his left wrist, "_Sensei escaped but Ameyuri-sempai said that she had things she needed to attend to and gave me this bracelet to remember him by. Mei-dono listed Ameyuri as a nuke-nin but I think that there is something deeper going on here because I haven't seen Kisame since she left. I hope they're okay."_

"Oi, Yagura! Are you gonna stare out the window all day or are you going to help us?" Suigetsu called from his position on Zabuza's back.

Yagura grinned, "Maaa, it's too late." he said with a wicked smirk as he watched Mei's pen freeze in mid-air.

"Too….late?" her eyebrow twitched and Zabuza paled.

Yagura and everyone else laughed as the poor teenager began dodging for his life.

* * *

Shiranui Genma groaned in frustration as he wandered around the village of Takigakure, looking for his lost teammates. "_Seriously Aoba, can't you pick a freaking hotel that's on the map?"_ Genma's team- consisting of Genma, Yamashiro Aoba, and Namiashi Radiou- had been tasked with escorting a dignitary from Takigakure to Tanzaku Gai for a shopping spree and to bring her- and her crap, Genma thought dourly- back to Takigakure. The woman's purchases had made the two-day journey take nearly a week and by the end of it Genma was constantly reminding himself in his mind that listening to the woman prattle was better than painting a damn fence back in Konohagakure.

When they finally arrived in Takigakure it had been so late that Genma had decided that the team would spend the night and they would head back towards Konoha in the morning. As the chunin of the team, Aoba had been tasked with finding a hotel while Genma finished up the mission details, and he had found one. Yep, he had found a hotel far out of the way, cheap, and entirely impossible to find when you're drunk out of your mind. Stumbling down another row of decrepit-looking houses Genma considered just sleeping against the wall of a building when a child's distressed cry reached his ears.

Sobering slightly the shinobi made his way towards the cry, noticing that the houses were going from decrepit to nonexistent, giving way to shanties which were little more than mud and sticks. Genma noticed a bored looking Taki shinobi sitting outside the furthest structure looking utterly bored, reading a magazine. "Hey!" Genma called out to the guard, "What's going on? What's with th' cryin?"

The Taki shinobi looked up suspiciously, "What is a Konoha shinobi doing out this far?"

Genma gave him a grin, "My chunin picked the cheapest hotel he could find and I apparently can't find it while intoxicated."

The shinobi laughed, "Ah, well, go straight back that way until you reach an orange building, hang a left and it'll be right there."

Genma gave the man a grateful grin, "Thanks, man." Just then a particularly piercing wail escaped the shack.

The shinobi on guard scowled, "Damn freak! Shut up!"

Genma's eyes narrowed for an instant, "_Freak?" _"So, what's with the noise?" Genma asked, jerking a thumb towards the shack.

The shinobi's eyes darkened with hate, "Fucking demon that look out the entire eastern section of the village."

Genma forced his visage to remain placid, "Ah, really? The shack looks kinda small for something that big…"

"Nah, it looks like a kid now, but don't let it fool you it's that damn demon for sure." the Taki shinobi responded in disgust.

"You don't say?" Genma feigned disinterest, turning to leave. "_Not my village, not my village, not my village….."_

Just as he was about to walk away the Taki shinobi called out to him, "Hey, you know if you're that concerned you could take my spot so I could get some time with my girl before she leaved for her mission. I'd really owe you man. You don't have to do anything, just make sure the demon doesn't get free."

Genma looked at the Taki shinobi with a raised brow, "I'm a shinobi from a different village and you want me to take your spot? Won't you get in trouble?"

The guy shrugged, "Nah, if it disappears I'll probably get a promotion. I usually only sit out here once a week anyways, just so I get paid. Later dude." The man disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Genma heard another wail come from the shack and before his mind caught up his hand was pushing open the door. Nothing in his shinobi training had prepared him for the sight that greeted him. "Shit!" he cursed, controlling his breathing and trying to hold his temper.

In a broken down bed lay a badly clothed little girl with dull ginger eyes and stringy mint green hair. Genma's mind absently took in the girl's skinny frame, the lack of toys, the think blankets, and the overwhelming stench of diapers that had yet to be disposed of properly. None of that ignited the true rage that spawned in Genma's belly however. What truly ignited the fires of hate within the young Konoha shinobi was the resigned look on the baby girl's face. Small as she was, _defenseless_ as she was, she did not expect Genma to give he what he was pleading for- she was simply screaming because it was all she knew how to do. Genma watched as she took in his appearance with tiredly curious eyes, with trepidation that did not belong on the face of any baby.

Shaking himself out of his stupor the brown haired shinobi averted his eyes from the baby girl as his mind worked overtime as to why he should not get involved. "_She's from an allied village, taking her would cause an international incident."_ he told himself, trying to fill the ache in his chest. "_What if this were Naruto?"_ a traitorous little voice whispered, "_would you leave him in this state?" _Genma felt the burn of tears as he continued to look anywhere but the now-silent child that lay beneath him. Then the Konoha shinobi saw something that made his blood turn to ice.

Genma's decision was made.

Quickly making a bunshin to rouse Aoba and Radiou, Genma walked back over to the broken bed. Taking off the light jacket that he had been wearing the young man carefully wrapped tiny body, making sure to not make it too tight, before gingerly lifting her out of the bed. Walking over to the wall Genma took something off it, sealed it in a scroll and with a shunshin left the dammable shack behind.

Meeting up with Aoba and Radiou both men knew better than to say anything by the look of utter contempt on Genma's face. With a simple nodal three, plus their tag-a-long disappeared into the darkness.

* * *

"You're absolutely certain, then? There's no going back on this, Shiranui." Tsunade spoke firmly.

"I am absolutely sure, Tsunade-sama." Genma replied calmly, though his hands twitched at his side.

Tsunade smirked, "_He's grown_. _Many would have taken her out of that hell-hole, but not many twenty-something year-old men would have gone this far._" Looking at the young man, Tsunade couldn't help but be proud of her shinobi, clearing her throat she spoke in an official voice, "Shiranui Genma you are now the sole surviving parent of Shiranui Fumiko, she has been registered as a Konoha citizen and the details of her condition shall be kept secret until you deem otherwise or the situation demands it. Do you understand these terms?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama!" Genma responded.

Tsunade smiled, "Get going, then. Your gaki is with Shizune at the hospital."

Genma gave the Hokage a nod and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Tsunade gazed out the window that overlooked the hospital, "_Things are going to get very interesting around here."_ she thought to herself. Having had her moment Tsunade looked back at her desk with a sigh, "Damn, it's all still here."

* * *

**Author's notes!**

**I know this chapter was really long but I hope you guys made it through!**

**I know that I made Fu's treatment reallyrealllllly bad, but in the manga Deidera (however you spell that exploding bastard's name!) said that Fu 'loathed' humanity, so I just wanted to show how terrible Taki treated her prior to our knight-in-shining-armor rescuing her!**

**Please, please, please review! We're almost to 500, and that would be so totally awesome for my little story to hit that mark!**

**Also. even though I rarely reply to reviews anymore (damn you laziness!) I honestly enjoy getting them and I light up like a Christmas tree every time I get one!**

**Thanks again!**


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